Postcard from Tunis: The philatelist putting his stamp on history

Mounir Smiri owns the oldest shop for collectors in the capital

Mounir Smiri, Tunis's oldest philatelist, says stamps are indispensable time capsules that illustrate the history of humanity. He has been adding to his collection for more than 50 years. All photos: Ghaya Ben Mbarek / The National

Mounir Smiri, Tunis's oldest philatelist, says stamps are indispensable time capsules that illustrate the history of humanity. He has been adding to his collection for more than 50 years

Mounir Smiri, Tunis's oldest philatelist, says stamps are indispensable time capsules that illustrate the history of humanity. He has been adding to his collection for more than 50 years

Mounir Smiri, Tunis's oldest philatelist, says stamps are indispensable time capsules that illustrate the history of humanity. He has been adding to his collection for more than 50 years

Mounir Smiri, Tunis's oldest philatelist, says stamps are indispensable time capsules that illustrate the history of humanity. He has been adding to his collection for more than 50 years

Mounir Smiri, Tunis's oldest philatelist, says stamps are indispensable time capsules that illustrate the history of humanity. He has been adding to his collection for more than 50 years

Mounir Smiri, Tunis's oldest philatelist, says stamps are indispensable time capsules that illustrate the history of humanity. He has been adding to his collection for more than 50 years

It's been five decades since Mounir Smiri sold his first set of stamps to fellow students at Tunis’s Sadiki School.

That first transaction led to the discovery of the joy that the art of stamp collecting, or philately, could bring him.

Today, Mr Smiri spends his days spreading that elation at Smiri's Philately, a tiny shop nestled in a narrow street between the Beb Mnara and Gorjeni neighbourhoods, just north the capital's old medina.

The instant shoppers stop by, Mr Smiri appears, grinning widely, to walk them through his personal world of philately, with a dose of history thrown in.

“I do not come here to work, I come to this place to put my mind at ease,” Mr Smiri told The National as he sat at his vintage wooden desk flicking through his collection, some of which he does not leave on show for fear it might get lost or stolen.

One might question at first the value of philately. But stamps can be both time machines and textbooks, drawn and designed by human beings to commemorate and celebrate the events that shape the collective memories of nations. They are a tool for writing history.

“Every time a stamps collection is issued, an explanatory guide about the reasons behind its issuance is also released,” Mr Smiri told The National.

He explained that philatelists do not merely sollect stamps; they must understand the stories or events that every stamp collection in the world is associated with.

“Stamps educate us in more ways than we could ever imagine … It encompasses both the visual and written stories of our past,” he said.

Mr Smiri's collection is certainly a time capsule with a wide variety of themes, from geography, biography, history, culture, food to even cats and dinosaurs.

Even though this extremely analogue hobby is no longer in fashion in a digital world, the value of stamps continues to resist complete obsolescence.

Mr Smiri contends that investors and people with money understand that more than anybody.

“Some people might save their money in bank accounts. Others, however, would buy a stamp.”

He explained that stamps' value increases over time, especially if certain series or collections are discontinued and only a limited number remains available.

Mr Smiri said he minored in philately when he pursued his studies in France when he was young, something that made him realise the kind of value that stamps carry.

“If you ask me about what I had eaten for dinner last night, I’d probably would not know, however, if you want me to tell you about a specific Tunisian stamps edition from the 1980s, I would tell you right away about all the details that collection had,” Mr Smiri said as he attempted to explain how centred his life is around his passion for stamp collecting.

Mr Smiri said that since he started pursuing philately as a profession, he has visited dozens of exhibitions around the world to showcase his ever-growing collection.

“When I was invited to participate in my first exhibition, I was surprised at the number of people who shared my passion,” he said.

Mr Smiri said that even though times have changed, people of different ages and backgrounds still come to visit him every now and then to both view and purchase some of the stamps he has in his wide range of collections.

“A stamp is the living memory of human beings.”