Tunisian Postage Stamp – Kairouan Mosque Overprint (1920s–1940s)

This vintage stamp from Tunisia, issued under the French protectorate, features an illustration of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, one of the most important Islamic monuments in North Africa. The stamp, originally valued at 5 centimes, was later overprinted to 2 centimes for administrative use, a common practice in colonial postal history. Printed in violet with a bold black surcharge, the design shows the mosque’s arches, minaret, and worshippers, framed with Arabic calligraphy. It represents both Tunisia’s Islamic heritage and the layered history of its postal system under French rule.