1926 Alaouites

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Stamps issued by the Alouites (also spelled Alaouites) offer a fascinating glimpse into a short-lived and often overlooked chapter of postal and geopolitical history in the Middle East.

The Alouites were a region along the Mediterranean coast in what is now northwestern Syria, centered around Latakia. The area was named after the Alawite religious sect.

After World War I, the Ottoman Empire collapsed, and France took control of large parts of the Levant under a League of Nations Mandate. The Alouites were separated from Syria and administered as a French protectorate from 1920 to 1936.

The first stamps used in the Alouites were French stamps overprinted with “ALAOUITES.” Overprints were often in black or red, depending on the issue.

Later the region was placed under Syrian customs administration, so Syrian stamps were used with an overprint reading “ALAOUITES.”

In 1936, the Alouites were officially reincorporated into Greater Syria under the French Mandate, and separate stamp issues ceased. Regular Syrian stamps were used afterward.

Stamps issued by the Alouites (also spelled Alaouites) offer a fascinating glimpse into a short-lived and often overlooked chapter of postal and geopolitical history in the Middle East.

The Alouites were a region along the Mediterranean coast in what is now northwestern Syria, centered around Latakia. The area was named after the Alawite religious sect.

The first stamps used in the Alouites were French stamps overprinted with “ALAOUITES.” Overprints were often in black or red, depending on the issue.

Later the region was placed under Syrian customs administration, so Syrian stamps were used with an overprint reading “ALAOUITES.”

In 1936, the Alouites were officially reincorporated into Greater Syria under the French Mandate, and separate stamp issues ceased. Regular Syrian stamps were used afterward.