UNESCO International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia
This stamp was issued in 1961 by the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (المملكة المتوكلية اليمنية) as part of the UNESCO International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia (إنقاذ معابد النوبة). The image features Trajan's Kiosk on the island of Philae in Egypt, one of the iconic ancient monuments threatened by the rising waters of Lake Nasser following the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
The release commemorated the landmark international effort initiated by UNESCO in 1960 to rescue and relocate priceless ancient Egyptian and Nubian heritage sites most notably Philae and Abu Simbel before they were permanently submerged. By participating in the philatelic campaign, Yemen joined dozens of nations worldwide in raising international public awareness and supporting the massive engineering undertaking that successfully dismantled, moved, and reassembled these historic structures on higher ground.
The release commemorated the landmark international effort initiated by UNESCO in 1960 to rescue and relocate priceless ancient Egyptian and Nubian heritage sites most notably Philae and Abu Simbel before they were permanently submerged. By participating in the philatelic campaign, Yemen joined dozens of nations worldwide in raising international public awareness and supporting the massive engineering undertaking that successfully dismantled, moved, and reassembled these historic structures on higher ground.