Egypt

Time Traveler | Cool Facts! | Technology | Post Explorer

Time Traveler
  Egypt probably boasts one of the richest and most diverse postal histories of any country. When Persian invaders came into the country in 6 BC, the invasion brought about the concept of post. In the Age of Pharaohs, where battles for territory were common, many Pharaohs used mail in the form of stone tablets, leather, and wood to communicate with the new territories they had seized and also to maintain diplomatic relations with the kings of neighboring nations.

In the Modern Age, there was an interesting network of foot-mail messengers: Messenger A would walk from Station A to Station B, and Messenger B at Station B would receive the mail and carry it on to Messenger C at Station C and etc. This ensured the foot-mail messengers would not have to walk for more than one hour. 

Towards the present, Egyptian post offices mushroomed in nations on the fringe of the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Sudanese kingdom, to handle the various transactions of merchants calling at the numerous ports.

In 1931, the Poste Egyptienne (French colonial name) center shifted from Alexandria, the main Egyptian seaport, to Cairo, its present capital, when air services rendered maritime services outdated.

Cool Facts!
  Come the Middle Age, the first sign of modernization was the introduction of "airmail". Homing pigeons, relatively accurate and efficient, were used to deliver mail down the Nile and towards Sudan. The Sultan maintained several "airports" or homing pigeon stations along the major roads of the Sultanate.

Even in ancient times, there were already different classes of mail, chiefly two classes: Ordinary post and Express Post. The former would mean the mail is carried by beast of burden and pedestrian postmen while express post, as its name suggests, means quicker delivery on horses by top officials.

Besides New Year's Day, the Egyptians also celebrate Post Day. It is used to commemorate the issuing of the first stamps about 132 years ago on that very day.

In the Egyptian post office, there's a special parcel desk for ladies to prevent them from receiving too much physical contact in the crowded area.

Technology
  The Egyptian post office provides the standard amenities typical of most European post offices. The mail centers are equipped with telegraph, sorting, and handling facilities capable of handling bulk quantities of mail.

People applying for a job at the Egyptian Post are given training first at the Higher Institute of Post.

Post Explorer
  As with most postal systems, 100% security cannot be assured and the Egyptian postal service naturally has a 90-95% chance of getting your mail to its final destination, while a small percentage will get misplaced. Generally, using the airmail service is the safest and most convenient way to get your mail across.

One simple rule of common sense in Egypt is to use the airmail service if you have important or urgent mail. Surface mail utilizes the freighters that ply the transatlantic Egypt-US. routes, and it will most likely be misplaced in the process. Another reason to avoid surface mail is the severely clogged Egyptian ports which result in freighter delays and consequently, mail delays.

Preferably avoid sending parcels to and from Egypt. Exorbinant customs duties and red tape will make it more of a hassle than convenience.