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  • Libraries as Resting Places in Istanbul 

    Libraries open to everyone, where you can rest, read and write when Istanbul has worn you out

    The work area inside the Women’s Library and Information Centre Foundation

    In the last week of September, with autumn settling in properly, I went looking for places to stop after my walks through old Istanbul along the Fatih–Beyoğlu line. I wanted somewhere to breathe, to keep my journal, to sort through my photographs. Say “a place to stop” and most of us think of a coffee shop first, and I do like a coffee after a long, good walk. This time, though, I wanted to get away from the city’s motion, sink into books, and write at ease with a pen in my hand.

    I also wanted to remember that there are options beyond coffee shops. So I tried the libraries along my usual walking route, and I want to share them with you.

    In this post;

    Women’s Library and Information Centre Foundation (Kadın Eserleri Kütüphanesi ve Bilgi Merkezi Vakfı)

    The Foundation’s building and its garden, with a tiny theatre stage tucked among the trees

    Walk the historic Balat–Zeyrek–Cibali stretch, photograph it, then go down toward the Golden Horn shore. Across from the Fener ferry pier you will find this library in a historic building. The foundation, Turkey’s first and only women-centered archive and library, holds works by and for women in Turkey from the Ottoman period to today. The walls carry works of art, and the building lets you both work and rest. I took care of the day’s last errands on my phone, rested in the quiet, looked through the shelves, and wrote my article and my journal at ease. It is a place where you can feel calm.

    Location: Fener, Fatih

    Address: Balat Mahallesi, Mürsel Paşa Caddesi No: 8, Fatih/Istanbul

    Opening hours: Weekdays 09:00–17:00, closed on weekends

    Website: http://kadineserleri.org/aabout-us/

    Good for working/reading/journaling? Yes

    Wi-Fi and outlets: Free Wi-Fi is provided by İBB (the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality), though the connection is not always stable. There are outlets you can use for work.

    Is photography allowed? Yes, you can take photographs.

    Getting there: It is across from the Fener ferry pier, close to the Fener tram stop and to bus stops. Getting to Eminönü by tram from Fener is easy.

    Is ID or a passport required for entry? No special ID or passport is needed.

    Atmosphere: An old Genoese mansion, dim and quiet, with a view of the garden. The staff are friendly and helpful.

    Who is it for? Anyone who wants to explore women’s studies, or who needs to sit down for a while in a historic building.

    My rating: ★★★★★

    İstiklal Millet Library (İstiklal Millet Kütüphanesi)

    The upper terrace of the İstiklal Millet Library and the view beyond it

    The İstiklal Millet Library stands on Meşrutiyet Caddesi, next to the Beyoğlu Municipality, directly opposite the Şişhane metro station and behind the Beyoğlu Tünel, in one of the busiest and most central spots in the city. It is small, with two floors: books and seating on the ground floor, study areas upstairs. There is free tea as well.

    What I liked best was the open terrace upstairs. You can look out over the historic buildings, drink your tea, work and read. Young people preparing for exams made up most of the crowd. While I sat writing with my camera on the table, one of them came over to talk to me, and it made me think that libraries can be natural meeting places for people who share an interest.

    The İstiklal Millet Library is livelier and busier, and you feel it in the number of young people. You can rest and work here, but it does not promise you complete silence.

    Location: Meşrutiyet Caddesi, Beyoğlu

    Address: Meşrutiyet Caddesi, Beyoğlu/Istanbul

    Opening hours: Weekdays 09:00–21:00, weekends 10:00–21:00

    Good for working? Partly

    Good for reading or journaling? Yes

    Wi-Fi and outlets: There is Wi-Fi, and outlets in the study areas. In the crowded parts, though, the shared connection is not always stable.

    Is photography allowed? Yes, you can take photographs.

    Getting there: Near Şişhane and Tünel, it is close to the metro and the nostalgic tram. An easy stop while you are walking İstiklal Caddesi.

    Is ID or a passport required for entry? No special ID or passport is needed.

    Atmosphere: Lively, energetic and calm.

    Who is it for? Anyone tired from wandering around Tünel and Karaköy.

    My rating: ★★★★☆

    Vitali Hakko Creative Industries Library (Vitali Hakko Kreatif Endüstriler Kütüphanesi)

    Inside the Vitali Hakko Creative Industries Library

    I visited this library inside the AKM on Taksim Square. It is special for its design and its atmosphere. It holds valuable works in the visual arts. The lowest floor is a study area, and the other floors have bookshelves and small seating areas. You will find rich resources in English and other languages on photography, architecture, the city, painting, sculpture and more.

    It was a pleasure to take a break here, look through photography books, and then write. The one drawback is that it closes at 17:00. I arrived in the afternoon and realized how little time I had, which annoyed me. Anyone interested in the visual arts should stop by, and its central location is a big advantage.

    A note on the terms of use: the library is open to users aged 16 and over, and materials cannot be taken out of the library.

    Photography books in front of me at the Vitali Hakko Library

    Location: Taksim Square

    Address: Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), Gümüşsuyu, Beyoğlu/Istanbul

    Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–17:00, closed on Mondays

    Website: https://akmistanbul.gov.tr/tr/kutuphane

    Good for working? Yes

    Good for reading? Yes

    Good for writing or journaling? Yes

    Wi-Fi and outlets: There is Wi-Fi. Outlets are available, especially in the study area on the lowest floor.

    Is photography allowed? You need to follow the rules of the space. In the exhibitions and library areas, it is worth paying attention to the staff’s instructions.

    Getting there: It is inside the AKM on Taksim Square, an easy walk from the Taksim metro station.

    Is ID or a passport required for entry? No special ID or passport is needed. The library is open to users aged 16 and over.

    Atmosphere: Aesthetic, with good architecture and lighting, modern, and comfortable seating.

    Who is it for? Anyone interested in the visual arts who wants access to rich resources in these fields.

    My rating: ★★★★☆

    Casa Botter Library (İBB Casa Botter Kitaplığı)

    The view from the balcony of Casa Botter
    Two people working by the window at Casa Botter

    İstiklal Caddesi is perhaps the first place tourists go when they come to Istanbul, and with the city’s museums nearby, you can hardly walk past it. When you tire on your stroll, you will find the Botter Apartment opposite Narmanlı Han. Restored in 2023 and returned to the city, it is the first known Art Nouveau building in Istanbul. Visit the current exhibition on the ground floor, then take the door next to it straight up to the floor above, where the study areas and the library are.

    From the balcony you can watch İstiklal Caddesi, use the books and do your work. Go down the long corridor to the study area at the back, and you can work or read quietly, far from the avenue’s crowd and noise. Though it sits right on the avenue, it feels like another world, cut off from it. Looking over the old building is a pleasure of its own.

    Location: İstiklal Caddesi, Beyoğlu

    Address: İstiklal Caddesi No: 235, Beyoğlu/Istanbul

    Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–19:00, closed on Mondays

    Website: https://kultursanat.istanbul/mekanlarimiz/casa-botter-sanat-ve-tasarim-merkezi

    Good for working? Yes

    Good for reading? Yes

    Good for writing or journaling? Yes

    Wi-Fi and outlets: Wi-Fi and outlets are available in the study areas.

    Is photography allowed? Yes, you can take photographs.

    Getting there: On İstiklal Caddesi, opposite Narmanlı Han. You can walk from the Şişhane metro station.

    Is ID or a passport required for entry? No special ID or passport is needed.

    Atmosphere: An old, high-ceilinged, quiet building, with a view of the busy İstiklal Caddesi.

    Who is it for? Anyone tired from walking around Taksim and İstiklal Caddesi, and anyone who wants to see the old apartment buildings of Beyoğlu.

    My rating: ★★★★★

    SALT Galata

    A window at SALT Galata looking out over the Golden Horn
    My notebook at SALT Galata, with the inner courtyard.

    SALT Galata, in Karaköy on Bankalar Caddesi, is an important historic building. Designed by the architect Alexandre Vallaury as the Ottoman Bank, it served as the bank’s headquarters from 1892 to 1999 and opened as SALT Galata in November 2011.

    The building has impressive architecture and works as a cultural center. The lowest floor holds the study areas and the library, and with its restaurant, café, exhibition spaces and workshops, it is culturally rich. It is a pleasure aesthetically and architecturally, too. Though I was very tired, I walked through the whole building. I touched the marble railings, watched the Golden Horn through the wide windows, and photographed the inner courtyard. Then I sat down in the study area and wrote the day’s pages.

    There are many places to sit. The outlets and lighting are what a proper study space should have, and you can also rest and read in the small armchairs by the windows. SALT Galata has its own visitors and the spaces are linked by a shared courtyard, so you sometimes hear people coming and going and talking, but it is no obstacle to working. It is a building you should see on a Karaköy walk, and once you are there, it is also a good place to rest, read and write.

    SALT Galata

    Location: Bankalar Caddesi, Karaköy

    Address: Azapkapı, Bankalar Caddesi No: 11, Beyoğlu/Istanbul

    Opening hours: Please check the official website for SALT Galata’s current visiting hours.

    Website: https://saltonline.org/

    Good for working/reading? Yes

    Good for writing or journaling? Yes

    Wi-Fi and outlets: Wi-Fi is available, and there are outlets in the study areas.

    Is photography allowed? There are some restrictions on photography. In particular, shooting with a professional camera is not permitted.

    Getting there: You can reach it from the Karaköy and Şişhane metro stations. Walking up to Bankalar Caddesi from Karaköy is also possible.

    Is ID or a passport required for entry? No special ID or passport is needed.

    Atmosphere: A historic, aesthetic building with a view.

    Who is it for? Anyone who wants to see a historic building, to read and write with a view of the Golden Horn, or to take photographs.

    My rating: ★★★★☆

    Istanbul University Main Beyazıt Campus (İstanbul Üniversitesi Ana Beyazıt Kampüsü)

    A garden with a pool ‘Havuzlu Bahçe’ on the Istanbul University Beyazıt Campus, and students resting around it

    I had set out for the library of Istanbul University’s Faculty of Economics, and when I found it under renovation, I started wandering through the campus instead. This is one of Istanbul’s oldest state universities, with many faculty buildings. The campus’s open areas offer good places to rest, and you can feel the energy of the young people there.

    Students at a table under the old trees of Istanbul University
    The historic Beyazıt Gate of Istanbul University

    You can sit on benches under very old trees, drink your tea or coffee and read your book. You can work at the tables. With its historic character and calm atmosphere, it is almost an open-air library.

    Location: Beyazıt, Fatih

    Address: Istanbul University Beyazıt Campus, Fatih/Istanbul

    Opening hours: Monday-Friday 08.00–17:00, closed on Weeekend

    Website: https://www.istanbul.edu.tr/

    Good for working? Suitable for personal work in the open areas.

    Good for reading? Yes

    Good for writing or journaling? Suitable in the open areas.

    Wi-Fi and outlets: Internet and outlets may be available in some parts of the campus; access in the open areas is not the same everywhere.

    Is photography allowed? In the open areas, you can take photographs. Different rules may apply inside buildings and in private areas.

    Getting there: Close to the Beyazıt–Kapalıçarşı tram stop. You can also arrive by the bus stops around Beyazıt.

    Is ID or a passport required for entry? No special ID or passport is needed, though the security checks at the campus entrance may apply.

    Atmosphere: Historic, green, young and lively.

    Who is it for? Anyone who wants to explore historic campuses, rest under the trees and take a short break.

    Other Libraries and Research Spaces

    A copy of Kitâbü’l-Haşâiş fî’t-Tıb on display at the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library. It is the Arabic translation, made by İstefan b. Bâsil in the 9th century, of De Materia Medica, the ancient encyclopedia of medicinal plants and pharmacy by the Greek physician and botanist Pedanius Dioscorides (c. 40–90 CE).

    This week I also visited the Fatih Millet Manuscript Library (Fatih Millet Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi), the Süleymaniye Manuscript Library (Süleymaniye Yazma Eser Kütüphanesi) and the Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Literature Museum Library (Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Edebiyat Müze Kütüphanesi). These keep historically and culturally important works, and they are open mostly to people doing research in those fields.

    In the same way, I learned that the İBB Atatürk Library (İBB Atatürk Kitaplığı) in Taksim also serves researchers. It has quiet study halls, and its shared co-working offices can be used by appointment.

    The crowd at the market beside the Grand Bazaar
    The bust of Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar in front of the library that carries his name, with Gülhane Park behind it

    Pausing While Exploring a City

    When we lose ourselves in a city’s streets and keep moving along its endless avenues without stopping, we flow with the city and take part in its movement and its liveliness. Every walk becomes an act of moving toward ourselves. Between all the walking and getting lost, I think it matters to be able to stop: to take in what has happened, to catch up with ourselves.

    Until I pick up the pen and let it go, I sometimes don’t know how full I am. Then comes a pouring out, then silence, and I feel as if I have woken from a good sleep. The counterweight to any journey is the ability to stop. To calibrate to the person the city has turned you into, you need a little rest.

    Wherever they are in the world, libraries are like a home for those who read and write. I wanted to share the libraries that pull me out of the city’s crowd and noise and give me peace, in Istanbul’s most central and historic places.

    Here’s to more roads and more journeys!

    My reflection in the glass of the İBB Atatürk Library

  • A Morning Walk Through Beyoğlu: From Boğazkesen to Cihangir

    A slow, unhurried stroll in the early hours of the morning

    In the first part, I share the impressions Beyoğlu’s quiet early-morning streets left on me. At the end, in the “Plan Your Walk” section, you’ll find a map, the route and a few practical tips I’ve prepared for you. Enjoy the read, and safe travels!

    Good morning,

    The sun has only just risen. The streets are still trying to wake from their sleep, as if they haven’t yet shaken the dark from their shoulders, like a baker dozing in front of his oven. The street lamps are still lit, and the smell of simit and fresh bread drifts out of the bakeries and settles over everything.

    I buy a simit first, from the historic Boğazkesen Bakery, and start up Boğazkesen Slope. The Italian buildings gleaming on my left catch my eye at once. Whenever I pass them I feel as though I’m wandering the streets of Rome, standing beside the same buildings I once stumbled upon and studied there.

    I turn back and continue along Çukurcuma Street. The pigeons and cats are awake, though a few of the cats are still asleep. With its graffiti, antique shops, sculptors and art studios, Beyoğlu sits at the meeting point of art, greenery and sea. You find yourself pausing as you walk, looking up at the buildings and sensing the traces of lives you will never know. Climbing and descending the hills, you can suddenly come upon a view of the Bosphorus.

    Life slowly begins to stir in the early hours. In the streets of Cihangir I pass people out walking their dogs, movers at work, and workmen starting their repairs. A woman smoking on her balcony watches me go by, and we exchange a greeting.

    As I climb toward Sıraselviler, the bells begin to ring. It is nine o’clock.

    I sit down in a café in Cihangir, with a view of both the sea and the avenue, and say good morning to the day, and to Beyoğlu with it.

    Plan Your Walk

    start
    Meşhur Tarihi Boğazkesen Simit Fırını (The Famous Historic Boğazkesen Simit Bakery), Boğazkesen Street. Stop here first for a fresh simit, the sesame-crusted bread ring you’ll see all over Istanbul.

    getting there
    Take the T1 tram to the Tophane stop and begin where Boğazkesen Street meets the waterfront.

    how long it takes
    About an hour and a half at a relaxed pace. I set off at 7:30 and finished around 9:00.

    when to go
    If you’d like to wander through Beyoğlu as quietly as I did, choose the first hours of the morning. The streets are calm, the bakeries are fresh, and the city is only just waking up.

    what to wear
    The streets of Beyoğlu climb and fall constantly, so I’d recommend comfortable sneakers and clothes you can move in.

    breakfast stop
    Around Cihangir Street, Kumrulu Yokuşu or Başkurt Sokak, you’ll find stepped streets with Bosphorus views. Sit at the top of one with your simit and a thermos of tea from home, and enjoy a small breakfast. If there’s a free spot, I’d also recommend Cihangir Sosyal Tesisleri, right on the route. Sit down with a view of the Historic Peninsula, Topkapı Palace and the old city skyline, and catch your breath.

    after breakfast
    Once you’ve rested, take the quiet streets and watch the day begin to stir. Look at the murals and graffiti, the little shops, the antique dealers and the shopkeepers opening up, and pet a few cats along the way. Then have your first coffee of the day at one of Cihangir’s coffee shops.

    map

    Enjoy your walk!