SHARJAH

Group of Arab soldiers with their commander, Col. Carter, at their Sharjah headquarters.
 

 Sharjah extends along approximately 16 kilometers of the UAE’s Gulf coastline. In addition there are three enclaves belonging to Sharjah situated on the East Coast, bordering the Gulf of Oman. These Kalba, Khor Fakkan and Dibaa Al-Husn.

The capital city of Sharjah, which overlooks the Arabian Gulf, contains the main administrative and commercial center together with an especially impressive array of cultural and traditional projects, including several museums.  The two major landmarks are the souqs that reflects an Islamic design; a number of recreational areas and public parks such as Al Jazeirah Fun Park and Al Buheirah Corniche. The city is also have a tremendous number of colorful mosques. Shrajah International Airport and Port Khalid provides links with the outside world.

Some oasis are scattered to the interior, the most known is Thaid with very rich fertile soil which produce large quantities of vegetables and agricultural products. On the eastern region along the Gulf of Oman there is the town of Khor Fakkan, having the main port of the eastern region.  Two offshore islands belong to Sharjah, Abu Musa, which has been under military occupation by Iran since 1971, and Sir Abu Nu’air.

Sharjah Postal History

1925 Surface cover sent from Sharjah through the Branch Post office in Dubai.
 

Before the opening of the first post office, mails from Sharjah were sent either through Dubai or Royal Air Force base pots office near Sharjah old airport. Mails that sent through Dubai post office (about 11 miles from Sharjah) were tied by Dubai postmarks.

The Imperial Airways service was changed to the Arabian side on October 1st, 1932, the service was diverted to the Arabian Gulf via Basra, Bahrain, Sharjah, and Guadar. Few covers were issued by the Company to mark this event.

On October 15th, 1932, few covers were sent from Sharjah to London and franked on reverse with strip of 5 KGV Indian unoverprinted 1a3p stamps and tied by the first Dubai cancel that used during Indian postal administration
“DUBAI PERSIAN GULF / BO” in violet, and dated “15 October 1932”. These covers are specially pre printed bearing the inscription “FIRST AIR MAIL/INDIA – ENGLAND/Via OMAN & BAHREIN”.

On October 1st, 1932, few first flight covers were sent from London to Sharjah and franked with 6d, tied by “HILTON RD. HUDSON’S PLACE” and dated “1 October 1932” and were specially pre printed bearing the inscription “BY IMERIAL AIRWAYS./FIRST ARABIAN AIR MAIL./ENGLAND TO INDIA VIA THE ARABIAN COAST./OCT. 1 st. 1932”. Some of these first flight covers bearing 5d and 1d and tied by the same “HILTON RD. HUDSON’S PLACE” cancel and dated “1 October 1932” are not specially pre printed and spell  Sharjah as “Chargah”.

On September, 1932, few first fligh covers bearing 6d and 1 ½d, and tied by “LONDON AIR MAIL” cancel. These covers were tied on revere by two “DUBAI PERSIAN GULF / BO” cancel in violet, one dated “6 October 1932” and the other dated “2 November 1932”.

On October 1st, 1933, first flight covers were sent from Rangoon in India to Sharjah bearing in front 1ax4, 2a, & 4a all tied by “RANGOON G.P.O” double circle cancel, dated “1 October 1933”. These covers were specially pre printed bearing the inscription “OPENING OF THE REGULAR AIR MAIL SERVICE BY IMPERIAL AIRWAYS AND INDIAN TRANS-CONTINENTAL AIRWAYS BETWEEN LONDON AND RANGOON”. In reverse, covers tied by “BAHRAIN” double circle cancel dated “5 October 1933”, and by “IMPERIAL AIRWAYS/AIRWAY TERMINUS/VICTORIA LONDON” and also tied by a special "RANGOON" mark in red.

    The first post office in Sharjah was opened on July 10th, 1963 and at the same day the government placed on sale its first definitive postage stamps. Arrangements were made with the British postal agency in Bahrain for international surface and airmail service.

On February 20th, 1965, Khor Fakkan post office the dependency of Sharjah was opened. Gulf Aviation, a BOAC affiliated company has established a twice weekly air service to and from Sharjah. First Khor Fakkan set were issued on March 20th, 1965.

Seven types of cancels are recorded used in Sharjah during the independent postal administration. Almost all types are used in two different color, black or magenta ink.Six of these types inscribed “SHARJAH & DCIES” in Arabic and English and the seventh inscribed “SHARJAH - KHOR FAKKAN”, also in Arabic and English.

More information about SHARJAH postal history can be found in the following links

[Sharjah Independent Postal Administration Cancels] - [Sharjah General and Philatelic Links]