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On November 22 and 23, 2025, the Lebanese Philatelic Association (LAP) will transform the Le Gabriel Hotel in Achrafieh into a grand showcase of Lebanese memory: the country’s first International Stamp Exhibition, a century of images to browse… and a centennial stamp to be unveiled live.
A Century of Stamps, a Memory on Gummed Paper
The Lebanese postage stamp appeared for the first time in 1924–1925, with the issue of a series featuring the eternal cedar of Lebanon, but inscribed with the words “Grand Liban” (“Greater Lebanon”). Until 1918, the year the Ottoman armies withdrew, the territory used Ottoman stamps or stamps from foreign post offices — French, Austrian, German, Egyptian, and others.
Thus, while we can now speak of a century of Lebanese postage stamps, the term “Lebanese Republic” itself only appeared in 1930, with the issue of the so-called “Silk Conference” stamps, created to encourage the local industry in the face of an influx of Chinese silk on the markets. This is precisely the historical thread that the LAP invites visitors to follow.The Exhibition in Practice
On Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the LAP will open its displays under the patronage of the Minister of Telecommunications, Engineer Charles El Hajj. The official opening will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m., in the presence of official, diplomatic, municipal, sports, and academic figures, as well as collectors and media representatives.
Among the announced guests: Benoît Gervais (Yvert & Tellier), Claudio Manzati (European Philatelic Federation), and representatives from Cyprus, Egypt, and Jordan.
A Living Museum of Philately
On the program: a panorama stretched like a thread — historic series, portraits, landscapes, art, sports, rarities, and varieties. Educational panels, thematic focuses, and exchanges with specialists will explore every detail: perforations, paper types, watermarks, overprints, cancellations… all these small material clues that transform a stamp into a document, and a document into a national narrative.
The LAP’s displays are far from empty: several collections exhibited by its members have already won international awards at exhibitions in Cyprus, Dubai, and Birmingham. The aim of this Exhibition is to showcase these exceptional pieces to a wider public — both curious and passionate.
Billy Karam: From Racing to the Time of Stamps
At the head of the LAP stands Nabil (Billy) Karam, former rally champion and passionate stamp collector. A double Guinness World Record holder for his thematic collection on automobiles, he is now channeling his culture of performance into cultural preservation.
With this Exhibition, Karam and his colleagues at the LAP seek to display, transmit, and inspire — to ensure that the philatelic history of Lebanon continues to circulate.
A highlight of the opening will be the announcement of a commemorative stamp marking the centenary of the first Lebanese issue, released by Liban Post, in collaboration with the Ministry of Telecommunications.
Here, a stamp is not just a souvenir — it is an act of presence. Lebanon does not simply post its memory; it stamps it — for good.
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