Stamps take visitors on a history journey

ANKARA

The PTT (Turkish Postal Service) Stamp Museum exhibits 8,375 stamps, which have been printed since 1863, as well as the philately products of 192 countries.

The historical Real Estate and Eytam Bank building in the capital Ankara was restored by PTT AŞ and turned into a world-class cultural center with an area of 6,500 square meters and opened in 2013.

On the ground floor of the museum, there are objects that PTT, which has a history of 179 years, used to provide services in the field of mail and communication since its establishment.

In this section, there are approximately 100 objects such as dispenser bags, weapons, stamps, seals, telephone and telegraph machines.

Eight outfits worn by mail dispensers from the past to the present are displayed chronologically dressed in models.

Again on the ground floor, films showing the history of mail and communication are shown on the screen in the main exhibition hall and the 3-D cinema hall.

There are 32 touch screens in the museum’s exhibition grounds, showing scanned digital images of all stamps.

Stamps from 192 member states of the World Postal Union are on display at the museum. The stamps of 12 countries including Turkey, Italy, Brazil, the U.S., Egypt, England, France, China, Russia, Australia, India and Turkish Cyprus are shown with the models of world-renowned symbols of these countries.

Stamps, witnesses of history

In the museum, where the medals and diplomas that PTT has received since its establishment can be seen, stamps that are witness to history attract the attention of stamp enthusiasts.

Some 8,400 stamps, which have been printed since the Ottoman times in 1863, are exhibited here in chronological order.

The stamps in the Philatelic and Exhibition Hall can be seen on the touch table with the theme of “100 years.” This section contains images and information about stamps that represent important events in the world since 1900.

In the same section, the story of the stamp, themed “the 500th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul” is told. This section also displays a philately dictionary and the definition of the terms.

Three rooms of the museum, designed as the “Nostalgia PTT Department,” welcome visitors as a PTT office in the past.

The history of Turkish stamps is shown in seven different themes as “Atatürk,” “Nature,” “Sports,” “Vehicle,” “Tourism,” “Our Cultural Assets” and “History.”

In the “120 Stamp Archive Drawer,” the picture prints and color samples of the stamps on thematic subjects are presented to visitors.

The Children’s Club is in the basement of the center. While the visitors visit the museum, the children can have fun between stamps and letters thanks to the books, visuals, touch games and cartoons in the section prepared for them.

On the same floor there is also a multi-purpose hall for 80 people for meetings and conferences.

The PTT Stamp Museum can be visited free of charge every day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. except public holidays.