France Cover 1880 - Constantinople To Tunis With Odd Symbols

I have this cover and maybe there is an expert in Islamic symbolism
in SCF.The arrows point too them.What do they signify? They are
similar to old alchemy symbols or something of that nature.I scooped up
a similar letter on the net below mine.It has different symbols...

Hi perf12.

I'm afraid I can't help with your question about the strange symbols but I looked up the dates in La Poste Maritime Française and your cover appears to have been carried between Constantinople and Marseille on the steamer Rio Grande.

I thing those writing was not on the cover when it travel. It's look like the cover was use later as note pad

I agree with the alchemy symbol look. They also have the look of magic symbols for luck or protection, which can be highly individualistic, often made up of other simpler symbols, so there may be nothing for us to figure out exactly what the writer intended. Is what is in Arabic script an address or something else?

They certainly look like they were written by the original writers.

Thanks for your replies...
JPMG: these are not note pad markings as there are at least 4 covers
with similar symbols.
niglec:thanks for the ship information.
hy-brasil: Yes ,the individualistic marking is quiet possible.In the arab
text,it was very common mixing religious and other symbolic phrases on the
cover independant of what was in the actual letter.As Tunisia was part of the
Ottoman empire up too around 1881,and governed by the local "Beys"; French mail
either from France or other post offices prior too this were handled by the
Consular post in Tunisia.The Name of the addressee was not always in latin text
when sent from ,say :parent countries like Turkey.There was "Tunis" marked in latin letters although.
Below other examples of letters with these symbols.I think it is quiet possible that
they were sent by the same person and addressed to the same person over the years..but that is a guess.

Please make me a 1200 dpi scan of the red marked spot, from the low reolution scan you provide the writing look to be made over the postmark

JPMG: I understand your query but these covers you marked are not in my possession.
I did some close ups of the last cover and corrected the image.I will post another one a bit later.



We can see that part of the Symbol is under the stamp in the first pic.
http://www.kelibia.fr/histoirepostale/x_bfe.htm

Cover with the 40c






















cover with 25c Type Sage:

It could be the signature of the sender because it includes Arabic letters

The Arabic script states: "To Tunis and deliver by hand to our beloved one Mr. Mohamad AlKhalsi. God protect him

Thank's trabz for the interesting information.The signature idea
is quiet interesting.