Category: Public
Type: Administration
Location: Hobyar, Büyük Postane Ave. Fatih
Date: 1905-1909
Designer: Vedat Tek
Period: Ottoman Empire
Photos: Karacan Grup İnşaat (karacangrupinsaat.com)
The Grand Post Office in Sirkeci, designed by the renowned architect Vedat Tek and completed in 1909, stands as the most prominent example of the First National Architectural Movement in Istanbul. Originally serving as the Ministry of Post and Telegraph, this monumental four-story structure blends classical Ottoman and Seljuk motifs with modern early-twentieth-century construction techniques. The building is characterized by its grand facade adorned with turquoise tiles, pointed arches, and two symmetrical corner towers topped with lead-covered domes. Inside, a vast central atrium sheltered by a stained-glass roof allows natural light to flood the interior, reflecting the era’s ambition to create a distinct national identity through a fusion of traditional aesthetics and functional grandeur. Today, it remains the largest postal building in Turkey and houses a museum dedicated to the country’s communication history, preserving its status as a vital landmark of the late Ottoman imperial legacy.
