On December 10, a postage stamp dedicated to ancient maps was put into postal circulation in the framework of the Joint Issue of the Russian Federation and the Sultanate of Oman on the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations

Diplomatic relations between the USSR and the Sultanate of Oman were established on September 26, 1985. The theme of the postage stamp issue is ancient manuscripts illustrating the historical interrelations between the countries.

Manuscript Kharīdat al-ʻAjāʼib wa Farīdat al-Gharāʼib, or The Pearl of Wonders and the Uniqueness of Things Strange by outstanding Oman scientist Umar ibn Muẓaffar al-Wardī is a rare and historically valuable work where the focus was placed on compiling stories about marvels around the world: he describes different countries, seas, oceans, rivers, flora and fauna and outlines the relative positions of kingdoms separated by seas and deserts, discussing the peoples who inhabited these areas.

Ibn al-Wardī pays attention only to those countries, cities and rivers that were either known to his contemporaries or believed to be of particular value for them. He begins with countries in the west, then moves eastward, followed by the south, and finally the north, referring to the Romans, Franks, and others, and also mentioning Slavs.

He presents the information in the manuscrip in an encyclopaedic style that blends geographical details with a literary narrative. The information he includes is remarkably accurate and aligns well with other prominent scholarly sources of that time.

In addition, Ibn al-Wardī designed a detailed map that serves as an integral companion to the text of the manuscript. The manuscript itself contains explanations of the map's contents wherein Ibn al-Wardī organizes countries and landmarks according to their regions. In so doing, he portrays the shape of the Earth as it was understood in his time: in the form of a circle.

The postage stamp provides an image of manusript The Pearl of Wonders and the Uniqueness of Things Strange (a fragment, a copy of the 19th century, the National Museum of Oman).

In addition to the issue of the postage stamp, JSC Marka produced First Day Covers and special cancels for Moscow and St. Petersburg.


Design Artist: M. Bodrova.
Face value: 80 rubles.
Stamp size: 37×37 mm, sheet size: 131×137 mm.
Emission form: a sheet with formatted margins (3×3) with 8 stamps and a coupon.
Quantity: 64 thousand stamps (8 thousand sheets).

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