Joint stamp issue with Kyrgyzstan

Tomorrow MaltaPost and Kyrgyz Express Post will be releasing a joint stamp issue, with the common theme being two Unesco World Heritage sites. The issue consists of two stamps, one featuring the city of Valletta and the other, the Burana Tower in northern Kyrgyzstan.

Valletta, the capital of Malta, is a fortified city built in the 16th century, and is named after its founder, Jean Parisot de Valette, the Grand Master of the Order of St John. The city is considered an architectural masterpiece and it is believed to be the first city in Europe to be built straight off the drawing board.

On the other hand the Burana Tower is a minaret, built by the Karakhanids in the ninth century. The tower was once part of the extraordinary ancient city of Balasagun, which was the capital of a great empire. The city was overrun by the Mongol troops and by the 14th century was left in disrepair.

Valletta was photographed by Paul Mizzi while the Burana Tower was photographed by Ivan Turkovskii.

Each stamp carries a face value of €1.16 and the issue consists of 20,000 sheets, with each sheet consisting of two stamps each measuring 76mm by 20mm with a perforation of 13.6 x 14.0 (comb.) and the Maltese Crosses watermark. Each sheet measures 108mm x 232mm.

The issues will be available for sale from tomorrow at all Post Offices in Malta and Gozo, online at www.maltaphilately.com or by mail from the Philatelic Bureau, MaltaPost plc, 305, Qormi Road, Marsa.