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The Egyptian Postal System: Oldest Postal System in the World

October 1, 2018
Cairo’s oldest post building in Ataba. Photo credit: Nermeen Youssef/ Flickr

There was once a world when communication was not at the tip of our fingers. Messages and letters could take up to months to arrive and a conversation could last a lifetime. Egypt has the oldest postal services in the world. In the midst of a busy street in Ataba is the headquarters of the Cairo Post Office Department with a floor dedicated to the country’s intricate postal service. It is known that ancient Egypt had one of the most systematic hierarchies in history as well as one of the oldest civilizations to date. Once writing became institutionalized in Egypt, mainly among the rich, ancient Egyptians were looking for ways to communicate information with other districts in the country. The gradual transition papyrus paper introduced a new wave of communication methods. It was only a matter of time to develop a postal system.   The hidden landmark was established in 1934 by Egypt’s monarch King Fouad. However, its doors were open to the public in 1940. The museum occupies the second floor of the postal office building and displays a rare collection of artifacts, documents and letters that examine the…


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