Abstract
Spurred by the Crimean War (1853-1856), Britain established a post office in Istanbul for the British army, to manage all its military correspondence. Once the war had finished, the British Army Post Office was converted into a civilian office. Because the old building was found to be inadequate for the increased business, the Postmaster General of the UK, George Campbell, directed that a new building should be erected. In 1859 the architect and civil engineer, Joseph Nadin designed and managed the construction of the new British Post Office in Galata. The building, which remains standing to this day, was used as the British Post Office until 1895, when it was closed, apparently for political reasons, during the Armenian riots. Afterwards it was converted, initially into a rental property, and from 1905 onwards used as the English High School for Boys. Meanwhile, the British Post Office moved into new addresses in the vicinity of the previous building and opened a new branch office in the Historical Peninsula. This article examines the historical background of the several relocations of the British Post Office in Istanbul and analyses these different office buildings in terms of their architectural designs.
