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Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Public Library Showcases Rare Stamp Collection

The library's stamp collection comprises 13,000 stamps, including rare specimens issued during the reign of King Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
The library's stamp collection comprises 13,000 stamps, including rare specimens issued during the reign of King Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Public Library Showcases Rare Stamp Collection

The library's stamp collection comprises 13,000 stamps, including rare specimens issued during the reign of King Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
The library's stamp collection comprises 13,000 stamps, including rare specimens issued during the reign of King Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA

The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh has revealed a rare collection of postage stamps that chronicle contemporary Saudi history.

The collection spans various national occasions and events, both before and after the founding of the Kingdom.

The library's stamp collection comprises 13,000 stamps, including rare specimens issued during the reign of King Abdulaziz Al Saud. The oldest stamp in the collection dates back to March 1925.

A particularly significant historical stamp commemorates King Abdulaziz's accession to the throne in 1931-1932, preceding the unification of the Kingdom on September 23, 1932. The first stamp bearing the name "Kingdom of Saudi Arabia" was issued in 1934, with several editions printed in various colors.

During King Abdulaziz's reign, stamp collections were issued to mark significant events such as the opening of the railway, visits by Arab and Islamic leaders, and the introduction of airmail services.

This valuable collection offers a fascinating glimpse into the historical development of Saudi Arabia and its postal system.

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Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
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Greek Potter Keeps Ancient Ways Alive, Wins UNESCO Recognition

A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)
A drone view of ready handmade pieces in Kouvdis’ family pottery workshop in Agios Stefanos village, near Mandamados on the Greek island of Lesbos, Greece, September 23, 2024. (Reuters)

In his seaside workshop on the Greek island of Lesbos, Nikos Kouvdis uses ancient techniques to create pottery pieces that have recently been honored with inclusion in UNESCO's National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Kouvdis, 70, and his family have kept an old technique alive near the once humming pottery hub of Mandamados, just as the slow and careful methods of the past have been largely eclipsed by factory machines.

Their pottery is among the last in the Mediterranean to be produced from clay in local soil, using a traditional kiln with olive pits as fuel, with the pieces painted with natural lime.

"It's an honor for me," Kouvdis said with regard to the UNESCO recognition of his work.

He said a mechanized press can work at 10 times the speed of an individual potter. "There’s no continuity. There’s no space for (our) method to continue."

Still, he continues to produce individual pots on an outcrop of land overlooking the Aegean Sea.

"Above all, it’s a passion - trying to create something that fulfils you," he said.