Tuzla removals

We travel to Tuzla, İstanbul's easternmost district, right up to the provincial border. The municipality lists 17 neighbourhoods. According to the District Governorate's history, Tuzla was formed from Pendik in 1992; in 2008, the former Orhanlı and Akfırat town municipalities joined, increasing the number of neighbourhoods from 12 to 17. The municipality says it sweeps 17 boulevards, 266 avenues and 2,620 streets. TÜİK's 2025 figures give the population as 313,865, with annual growth of 40.5 per thousand; the municipality describes Tuzla as İstanbul's fastest-growing district (sources: Tuzla District Governorate, Our History, Tuzla Municipality, Neighbourhoods, Environmental Cleaning Services and Tuzla Population, accessed 30.09.2026). We could not find a published area or neighbouring-district list on the District Governorate or municipality websites. On the map, Pendik lies to the west and north; beyond the provincial border to the east are Gebze and Çayırova in Kocaeli.

The road journey from our Sancaktepe base to Tuzla is about 20–25 km: addresses around the district's middle are roughly 20 km away, Aydıntepe 22 km, and the old coastal centre nearly 25 km. In free-flowing traffic the drive takes 20–25 minutes. An early morning departure can stay close to that range; D-100 extends it after the working day (source: OSRM / OpenStreetMap, September 2026).

Tuzla map: neighbourhoods, muhtarlık offices, stations

The map shows the boundaries of all 17 neighbourhoods, muhtarlık offices, Marmaray stops shown in İBB's station layer, the M4 extension under construction, and taxi ranks. In satellite view, the shipyard docks on the coast, Aydınlı's blocks spreading north, and the sparse, large plots around Tepeören–Akfırat appear in the same frame.

Access profile, neighbourhood by neighbourhood

Categories are relative to Tuzla's own neighbourhoods. Gradients are generally gentle: average slope exceeds 6% in only two of the 17 neighbourhoods. The defining features are not hills but the bands formed by the coast, railway, E-5 and TEM.

What the figures mean on moving day:

• The old centre between the coast and railway — Postane, İstasyon, Cami, Evliya Çelebi and Yayla: average gradients are 2.8–3.8%, steep-street share 13–21%, and 0–6% of streets are one-way or narrow. Postane is the centre's busiest neighbourhood, with about 58 km of local streets and nearly 2,800 buildings; Cami has the district's highest mapped car-park density, at 9.3 per km². Mapped floor data is limited or absent in these five neighbourhoods. The municipality, District Governorate, Land Registry and police are all on Hatboyu Avenue; daytime public-office traffic and evening coastal traffic affect loading times. Residents mention potholes and speed bumps on Cami and Postane streets, so we secure belongings accordingly.
• Between the railway and E-5 — Aydıntepe and İçmeler: Aydıntepe is the district's steepest neighbourhood, with a 7.3% average gradient, half its streets steep and 7% one-way or narrow; the few buildings with recorded heights average 13 storeys. İçmeler is the smallest neighbourhood at 0.9 km² but has more than 900 buildings. Tuzla State Hospital is on Piri Reis Avenue, where the loading area may be limited because the ambulance entrance must remain clear. Work is under way on the Menzil Street–Harbiye Street connection in Aydıntepe (source: Municipal projects, accessed 30.09.2026). In taller blocks, booking the goods lift and registering with the site management are central to the plan.
• North of the E-5, by the Kocaeli border — Aydınlı, Şifa and Mimar Sinan: Aydınlı is the district's largest neighbourhood at 27.3 km², and leads all three measures here: about 106 km of local streets, 4,651 buildings and 86 mapped parking areas. 16% of its streets are one-way or narrow, the highest share in the district; the Leather Organised Industrial Zone and TOKİ housing are both here. Mimar Sinan has 33 km of streets in 1.3 km², the second-steepest average gradient at 6.1%, and recorded-height blocks averaging 11–12 storeys. Şifa has little mapped floor data. For moves in this area, we notify site management of the vehicle registration and crew list, and book the goods lift.
• Small, sparse neighbourhoods — Orta, Fatih and Anadolu: 87–219 buildings, 5–18 km of local streets, average gradients of 4.4–5.6%, and steep-street shares of 26–35%. Mapped floor data is limited or absent; Anadolu has no mapped parking areas. Confirming the address and sharing a photo of the entrance is especially useful here.
• Towards the TEM — Orhanlı and Mescit: this is the district's flattest area, with average gradients of 2.6–3.0% and steep-street shares of 9–12%. Orhanlı has 1,416 buildings; those with recorded heights average 2–3 storeys. Mescit has 360 buildings and no mapped parking areas. The municipality describes this area as having transport disadvantages (source: Transport Services Directorate, accessed 30.09.2026). The lorry can usually pull up easily; the main considerations are distance and heavy-vehicle traffic alongside the TEM.
• The Ömerli basin — Tepeören and Akfırat: both are large, sparse neighbourhoods exceeding 26 km². Tepeören has about 64 km of local streets and 2,335 buildings; residents describe a shift from village character to housing estates, while mapped floor data is limited. Akfırat has 195 buildings and no floor data. Average gradients are 4.6–5.1%, steep-street shares 30–35%, and just 0–2% of streets are one-way or narrow. For villa moves, we check the garden-gate width and any unpaved final stretch during the site visit; we also check the İstanbul Park event calendar.

Shipyards, industry and two main roads

İBB's planning list refers to a Shipyards Zone plan at the Pendik–Tuzla border; according to the municipality's address list, the Leather Organised Industrial Zone is in Aydınlı (sources: İBB Urban Transformation, Pendik plan note and Municipality, Educational Institutions, accessed 30.09.2026). The District Governorate's history identifies the two main routes through the district: today's D-100 follows the former Bağdat Road, and the toll TEM motorway (source: Our History, accessed 30.09.2026). Residents say lorries and heavy vehicles are common around Tersaneler Avenue and the İçmeler crossing, while D-100 and the coastal road slow after work. For office and workshop moves inside a shipyard or industrial site, we arrange gate permission and timing with the customer. For home moves, we set off before 07.00 to avoid clashing with industrial traffic.

What residents say

The moves we see most in Tuzla

• Housing-estate and mass-housing handovers: blocks in Aydınlı, Şifa and Mimar Sinan, and the Konaşlı and Aydınlı TOKİ homes. The municipality announced that residents had moved into Konaşlı TOKİ and that a free shuttle between Konaşlı TOKİ and central Konaşlı began on 10 March 2026 (source: Transport Services Directorate, accessed 30.09.2026).
• Single-person and student homes (1+1, studios): shipyard and industrial workers, and the campus areas around Orhanlı–Tepeören mentioned in community notes; fewer belongings, a smaller vehicle and a two-person team.
• Family homes (2+1, 3+1): from low-rise coastal apartments to estates north of the E-5; dismantling, packing and site time slots are part of the plan.
• Offices, shops and workshops: shipyards, the Leather Organised Industrial Zone and workplaces in Orhanlı; out-of-hours work and separate equipment for heavy machinery.
• Villa moves: villa estates in Tepeören and Akfırat described by residents; we check the garden gate, carrying distance and whether two vehicles are needed.
• Urban-renewal moves and storage: belongings may need to stay in storage for months while a building is renewed; we plan the move and storage together.

You can check the volume of your belongings and a suitable vehicle size on our moving calculator.

After you move: registration, muhtarlık, municipality

You can register your new residence through e-Devlet or at your neighbourhood muhtarlık, the local headman's office. Addresses for Tuzla's 17 muhtarlık offices:

Tuzla Municipality's main service building is at No. 17 Hatboyu Avenue, Evliya Çelebi neighbourhood. Its switchboard is 444 0 906 and its WhatsApp support line is 0530 919 09 06; opening hours are weekdays, 08.30–17.00. The additional service building for the Orhanlı area is at No. 52 Orhanlı Road (sources: Tuzla Municipality contact and Service buildings, accessed 30.09.2026). The District Governorate is on the same avenue at No. 1; its switchboard is 0216 701 14 50 (source: Tuzla District Governorate contact, accessed 30.09.2026).

Permits for lorries and exterior lifts: we could not find a published rule or fee on the municipality's website for a moving vehicle or mobile lift temporarily using the road (accessed 30.09.2026). The Municipal Police Directorate's page lists the Municipal Orders and Prohibitions Regulation only as a downloadable document; we do not state a rule without reading and confirming it (source: Municipal Police Directorate, accessed 30.09.2026). On narrow streets and streets with speed bumps, it is best to ask in advance by calling 444 0 906 or using the WhatsApp line.

Old furniture, rubble and waste collection days: the municipality's service guide says household waste is collected daily, rubble and green waste are collected regularly, and municipal teams collect unwanted household furniture. No neighbourhood collection days or separate number for old furniture is published; requests need to go through the switchboard or WhatsApp line, and calling to confirm is the safest option (source: Environmental Cleaning Services, accessed 30.09.2026). We take away the boxes and packing materials from moving day; we plan for unwanted furniture during the site visit.

Public transport

None of Metro İstanbul's operating lines reaches Tuzla. The M4 terminates in Pendik and runs from 06.00 to 00.00; the nearest stations for the coast are Pendik and Tavşantepe, and for Orhanlı–Tepeören they are Kurtköy and Sabiha Gökçen. The M10 project pages cover only the Pendik Merkez–Kaynarca Merkez section, with no route extending to Tuzla (sources: Metro İstanbul M4 and lines under construction, accessed 30.09.2026). İBB's station layer shows Marmaray stops at Aydıntepe, İçmeler and Tuzla, as well as the İçmeler stop on the M4 extension under construction; we did not verify Marmaray service information on TCDD pages. The municipality's shuttle connects Şifa and Mimar Sinan to Çayırova Marmaray from 06.14–08.14 in the morning and 17.32–20.02 in the evening; the 500T departs from Şifa. The municipality's projects page lists a ferry service from the coast to Pendik and the Princes' Islands (sources: Shuttle services, Transport route and Tuzla–Princes' Islands service, accessed 30.09.2026). Near stations and ferry terminals, we position the lorry on a side street rather than at the entrance.

Urban renewal

İBB's Tuzla plan-note amendment on buildings at risk covers 14 neighbourhoods and the Military Zone; Cami, Evliya Çelebi and Orta are not on the list (source: İBB Urban Transformation, Tuzla plan note, accessed 30.09.2026). The municipality has no separate Urban Transformation Directorate; procedures for risky buildings sit with the Zoning and Urban Planning and Building Control Directorates (source: Directorates, accessed 30.09.2026). We pack belongings from a building at risk and take them to storage, then move them into the new building once it is ready.

Neighbouring districts

To the west and north, Pendik borders Tuzla; beyond the provincial border to the east are Gebze and Çayırova in Kocaeli, and we also work in that direction. We could not find an official neighbouring-district list, so this description is based on the map. For the whole city, see our İstanbul removals page.

Sources

Boundaries, stations, muhtarlık addresses and the access profile were calculated from the open datasets below; information from the District Governorate, municipality, İBB and Metro İstanbul has been summarised in our own words and linked to its source.

• Tuzla District Governorate, Our History (establishment, change in neighbourhood count, D-100 and TEM, railway) and Contact — accessed 30.09.2026. The District Governorate website has no geography, population or neighbourhood-list page; area and neighbouring districts are therefore not given as official facts.
• Tuzla Municipality, Neighbourhoods (17 neighbourhoods), Tuzla Population, Contact, Service buildings, Directorates, Municipal Police Directorate, Transport Services Directorate, Environmental Cleaning Services, Educational Institutions, Shuttle services, Transport route, Tuzla–Princes' Islands service and Aydıntepe Menzil Street road connection — accessed 30.09.2026.
• İBB Urban Transformation Directorate, Tuzla plan note and Pendik plan note (Shipyards Zone plan) — accessed 30.09.2026.
• Metro İstanbul, M4 and lines under construction — accessed 30.09.2026.
• Distance: OpenStreetMap road network via OSRM, September 2026; free-flow time is approximate and uses a car profile, not a lorry profile.