Updated Date : 03.11.2021
Post Office in Istanbul
For an Istanbul Tourist sending a traditional mail back home or to a relative living locally only requires a visit to a nearby PTT office in Istanbul. You can find the location of your nearest PTT in Tourist Guide books available at various local vendors by asking a local, through google maps, or simply by visiting PTT's official website. Or just email us to get a Free tourist guidebook for Istanbul.
If you are interested in knowing more about PTT and how they work, this article is just for you.
What does PTT mean?
The postal service in Turkey is generally referred to as PTT. PTT is the short form for “Posta ve Telgraf Teskilati”. Istanbul has an extensive web of post offices that also offer currency exchange services and postal services. You can recognize a Post Office in Istanbul just by its yellow background and dark blue PTT letters.
History of national post and telegraph directorate of Turkey
The national post and telegraph directorate of Turkey, PTT, came into being in 1840. The current department of the post is an amalgamation of the original Ministry of Posts and Directorate of Telegraph, which were merged in 1871 to give a single department of "Ministry of Post and Telegraph" and the telephone department. After adding telephone services, its s name was changed to "Posta Telgraf Telefon" or PTT.
The PTT kept performing its services after the Republic of Turkey came into being in 1923. A large part of the population still prefers PTT over private postal companies because it is cheaper and reliable. For valuable items or sale purchase services, they have options like PTT VIP Cargo and cash-on-delivery parcel.
Central Post Office of Istanbul
The Central post office of Istanbul is the largest post office of Turkey. It is situated in Sirkeci, which is a district of Fatih. A prestigious historical building in the middle of Egyptian Spice Bazaar and Yeni Mosque inhabits the central post office. Located inside the same building is the famous Postal Museum. Therefore, an Istanbul tourist with no permanent postal address can easily receive mails at Poste Restante at the Istanbul central post office.
The timings of the Central Post office are as follows:
08:30-18:30 (Monday to Friday), 10:00-16:00 (Saturdays)
The office is closed on Sundays.
What services do the PTT offer?
Some of the domestic services of PTT include telegraphs, posting letters, greeting or postcards and parcels within Turkey, and exchanging foreign currencies. The international services include international telegraphs, sending and receiving letters, greeting or postcards and parcels from outside Turkey, Exchanging International post orders, and travelers' cheques.
PTT offices working days and working hours
Most PTT offices in Istanbul remain open from Monday to Friday; however, many branches around the central areas also operate on Saturdays. Sunday is an off for all the PTT offices around the country.
About the working hours, the opening hours of all the PTT offices are the same throughout the country. All the PTT offices open at 8.30 am sharp then close at 12.30 pm for an hour lunch break. After that, they re-open at 1.30 pm and finally close at 5.30 pm. Some smaller branches however, close early, around 3 pm.
The postcodes and the staff
If you have had a chance to visit local offices in Istanbul during your Istanbul Travel, like that of Municipality offices, you might know that staff speaks little or no English. For this reason, it is safe to have a Tourist Guide book that enlists some of the common Turkish phrases that you may need to speak with the staff. So here we have listed some with translations.
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I want to send this mail to X: Bu postayı X adresine göndermek istiyorum.
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I need an envelope: Bir zarf istiyorum.
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I need a parcel: Bir paket istiyorum.
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I need a telephone card: Bir telefon kartı istiyorum.
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How long does it take to get there? Postanın ulaşması kaç gün sürer?
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Is there a faster alternative? Daha hızlı bir yol var mı?
The postcode mainly comprises of 5 digits. The two digits for the city code and the last three digits represent your area.
Major PTT offices in Istanbul
In Istanbul alone, there are around 600 PTT offices, and that is why it is most likely that you will find one while going to a tourist spot. Below we have listed some of the major PTT offices in Istanbul with their addresses:
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Suleymaniye: Close to the historical Suleymaniye Mosque. Near the Vezneciler stop of the M2 Yenikapi – Haciosman metro line.
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Kapali Carsi PTT: Fatih district, the Yorgancilar Street near the Grand Bazaar and the Beyazit State Library. Very close to both M2 Yenikapi – Haciosman metro line’s Vezneciler stop and Kabatas – Bagcilar tramway line’s Beyazit stop.
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Sultanahmet: In the neighborhood of Sultan Ahmet, the Fatih district, near the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace. You can reach there after getting off at the Sultan Ahmet (Blue Mosque) station of the Kabatas – Bagcilar tramway line.
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Beyazit: In the Laleli neighborhood, surrounded by countless hotels in the southwestern part of the Fatih district. Near the Yenikapi metro station and Aksaray tramway station.
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Taksim: South of the Taksim Square, in the Siraselviler Street. You can get there easily by getting off at the Taksim stop of the M2 Yenikapi – Haciosman metro line.
The Final Word
The main reason that people still prefer PTT over various other postal services is that they are affordable, offer quality, fast and reliable mail services throughout the country and abroad. They are certified with TS EN ISO 9001 Quality Certificate. The international posts take only 4 to 5 days at max, and many of them are sent via the official Turkish Airlines.