This is not simply a book about stamps and postal documents (envelopes), but rather an academic and richly illustrated journey into one of the most complex intertwining of postal history and geopolitics in the late Ottoman world. Mail & Might: The Struggle for Supremacy in Ottoman Jerusalem 1872 – 1917 by Oral AVCI makes it clear that postal history is not an appendix to philately, but a critical lens through which we can understand how empires communicated, competed and asserted their power.
What is it about?
The book argues that stamps, postmarks and envelopes are not just collectibles, but historical documents that reflect political tensions, social structures and shifts in the balance of power in the Levant, of which Jerusalem was a key part. The postal heritage of the Ottoman Empire emerges not only as an aspect of the history of communication, but also as a vital component of the cultural and political legacy that shaped many modern states in the region.
Although foreign post offices in Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the 19th and 20th centuries have been the subject of previous specialist studies, such research has been mostly limited to the field of collecting, focusing on cataloguing and chronology. Avci’s work, on the contrary, delves into the roots of these services, places them in the broader Levantine context, and examines their presence in Jerusalem as part of imperial rivalry and the question of Ottoman sovereignty. In doing so, it goes beyond the narrow case studies of Austrian or French services and demonstrates how, at the time, Jerusalem’s postal institutions had become a multifaceted arena of global competition for supremacy.
The book argues that stamps, postmarks and envelopes are not just collectibles, but historical documents that reflect political tensions, social structures and shifts in the balance of power in the Levant, of which Jerusalem was a key part. The postal heritage of the Ottoman Empire emerges not only as an aspect of the history of communication, but also as a vital component of the cultural and political legacy that shaped many modern states in the region.
Although foreign post offices in Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the 19th and 20th centuries have been the subject of previous specialist studies, such research has been mostly limited to the field of collecting, focusing on cataloguing and chronology. Avci’s work, on the contrary, delves into the roots of these services, places them in the broader Levantine context, and examines their presence in Jerusalem as part of imperial rivalry and the question of Ottoman sovereignty. In doing so, it goes beyond the narrow case studies of Austrian or French services and demonstrates how, at the time, Jerusalem’s postal institutions had become a multifaceted arena of global competition for supremacy.
How is it structured?
The book is structured in six chapters. The first provides an overview of the geography, demography, and religious significance of the Levant and Jerusalem. The second and third chapters explore the Ottoman administrative system and the development of the Ottoman postal administration in Jerusalem, including post offices, routes, tariffs, and Santelli &Micciarelli services as examples of the iltizam system.
The following chapters focus on foreign postal services—Austrian, Russian, French, German, and Italian—first in the Levant in general and then in Jerusalem in particular. Avci shows how these were not simply technical services but an integral part of broader diplomatic, economic, and religious strategies. The sixth chapter, Mail & Might, is particularly interesting: it places postal operations in the theatre of international rivalry, examining French politique catholique, Austrian “cooperation in competition”, the Russian “Greek project”, the German Drang nach Osten and Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit in 1898, as well as Italy’s attempts to maintain a foothold in the Levant. The story culminates with the Ottoman administration’s efforts to reassert its sovereignty through the creation of new post offices in the Jewish quarter and Mea Shearim, the strategic use of tariffs and, finally, the dissolution of foreign post offices on the eve of the First World War.
The volume is richly illustrated, with over 100 stamps from different countries, more than 70 covers (26 of which are rare), 17 maps and 393 illustrations, documents and photographs, including archival images and postcards, which bring the narrative to life. With over 240 citations, the book maintains a high standard of scientific consistency, basing its analysis on both Ottoman archival materials and secondary literature.
Adding further weight to the volume is the foreword written by Turhan Turgut, RDP, FRPSL, the world’s leading authority on Ottoman postal history. Inducted into the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 2023, Turgut has served as jury chairman at international philatelic exhibitions on several occasions. His authoritative voice confirms the importance of this work for both philatelists and historians of communication and empire.
This is Avci’s second major contribution to postal history. His first book, The Postal History of Ottoman Iraq During the British Occupation (1914–1923), received five international awards at world philatelic exhibitions. With Mail & Might, Avci expands his pioneering research from Mesopotamia to the Levant, producing another extraordinary and innovative work that blends philatelic evidence with historical research.
Interdisciplinary in scope, this bilingual volume will appeal to philatelists, collectors, historians, and general readers alike. Avci’s writing combines academic rigour with engaging prose, reminding us that postal history is not a niche activity but a key to understanding diplomacy, empire, and the formation of the modern Middle East.
Mail & Might is destined to become an indispensable reference not only for philatelists, but also for scholars of Ottoman and Jerusalem history, international relations, and the history of communication.
Further information
Author Oral AVCI. Hardcover, 470 pages, bilingual English-Turkish, 393 illustrations, documents and photographs, 17 maps, over 240 quotations. Self-published in 2025. ISBN 979-12985868-0-2
Price €100.00, can be ordered by email at board@posthornmagazine.com. Shipping costs are €5.00 for Italy and €20.00 for Europe via Priority Mail.