History in thumbnails

To bring in the Qatar National Day celebrations, the Qatar Postal Services Company (Q-Post), on December 14, had unveiled a commemorative stamp at Katara. Stamps are now again the centre of attention as Gallery 2 of Building 18, Katara, houses an impressive collection of stamps, while a detailed brochure takes us through the brief highlights of Qatar postal history.The impressive showcase of stamps traverses countries across the globe, with a marked focus on stamps created around two of sport’s most iconic and coveted events – the Olympics and the football world cups. Brimming with fantastic art work and impeccable detailing, these stamps commemorate momentous sporting occasions. The Olympics cover everything from the ones held in Barcelona and Montreal to Stockholm and London. Neatly arranged in large display frames, these stamps take us through the milestones in recent sporting history. The History of the World Cup stamps, for instance, features several countries. The final of the first FIFA World Cup – it was held in Uruguay in July 30, 1930 – saw the Uruguayan team winning 4-2 against Argentina. “A Frenchman, Jules Rimet, did much to create this great football event, which is held every four years. So much so that the Trophy was named after him when it was won for the third time by Brazil in 1970,” says a little fact-box next to the classily designed stamps.While the World War II dashed the chances of any world cup tournaments in 1942 and 1946, the championship resumed in 1950 with the finals played in Brazil, at the Maracana Stadium in Rio, another piece of text says. As part of the same series, stamps feature several nations, like Italy celebrating their 2-1 triumph over Czechoslovakia in 1934 when Rome was the venue for the second world cup final, or the third world cup in 1938 in Paris which saw Italy win again, this time beating Hungary 4-2.Interestingly, the Qatar Philatelic Club (QPC) has put together some precious insights into Qatar postal history and the finer points of philately, which is available as a brochure at the venue. “Prior to April 1, 1948, stamps from India with Bahrain overprint were used. After this date, British stamps with Bahrain overprint were used,” the QPC says, pointing out how the rapid growth of the oil industry necessitated the establishing of the British Post representative’s office in Doha, “As part of the British Protection Agreement, in May 1950, the first postal office in Qatar was established to handle the increasing number of letters being sent by oil workers out of Qatar.”It was on April 1, 1957, that the first Qatari stamps, a set of 15, were issued as British stamps featuring the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II overprinted with the word “Qatar”. QPC points out, “The first ordinary Qatar set had been designed to carry the ruler’s portrait, dhows, oil derrick, and mosques.” As for post-independence, the definitive set of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali al-Thani is considered the last English stamps adopted by the Government of Qatar since May 23, 1963. QPC says, “The set of Sheikh Ahmed has been valid for use until the end of 1966. In October of the same year, Qatari stamps of the new currency have been issued. Then there came the modern Qatari issues which reflected the development of the country under the leadership of HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.” Over time, the role of stamps gained value and turned into a fascinating hobby, QPC points out.