Today in Postal History

Palestine to Austria
November 19, 1916

World War I in the middle east made Lawrence of Arabia famous (or infamous, if you choose).
This is a picture postcard sent via Feldpost (military mail)
by a member of the German Military Mission sent to control the area.
The A.O.K. 4 was the Army Corps High Command.
From May 20 to 30 of 1916 this unit was besieged  by Lawrence in Bir-es-Seba.*
The card is datelined Jerusalem, Palestine, Turkey on the picture side..
Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire at the time.

The card was destined for Prague, Bohemia (now Czechoslovakia), then part of Austria.
The boxed censor stamp was applied in Vienna.
The K.u.K. stands for Kaiserliche und Königliche (Imperial and Royal).

The merchants appear to be selling beads.

*Thanks to Charles W. for the added info on the German units and destination.

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