Sahaflar Book Bazaar

Sahaflar Çarşısı (The Old Book Bazaar)

If you are inBeyazit Square, the road lying through “Fesçiler Gate” is the shortest way to go to Grand Bazaar.Between “Fesçiler Gate” and “Beyazit Square”, there is also another bazaar hosting several bookshops and it is called “SahaflarÇarşısı” (The Old Book Bazaar).Sahafs, the second-hand book shops in Bazaar, are actually some kind of bibliopoles in foreign countries.

History of The Old Book Bazaar, where “risales” (manuscripts with maximum 32 pages) bought in Ottoman Eraare displayed, dates back to 15th century. The book shops were situated in districts close to madrasahs during the Ottoman period. After the construction of Grand Bazaar was accomplished in 1460, they were gathered in the section reserved for them.Through the end of the 19th century, the bibliopoles in Grand Bazaar were damaged by “Istanbul Earthquake” and then they were moved into their present place, Hakkaklar Bazaar, which is situated just behind “The Old Book Bazaar”.

The bibliopole craftsmen were members of “Bibliopole Guild”, which was a non-governmental organization and were founded by colleagues of the same craft in Ottoman Era. Although they just seemed to deal with selling books, a craftsman was required to pass through the career chain from apprentice to journeyman before he could be elected to become a master craftsman. The most prominent master of bibliopoles was “Basralı Abdullah YetimiEfendi”.

In Paris, in national library called “BibliothequeNationale de France”, a manuscript with miniature, which was bought from The Old Book Bazaar by Antoine Galland and was given to the King of France, is displayed.

Due to the huge fire in 1950, not only The Old Book Bazaar, but also several manuscripts turned into ashes. After the disaster, book shops in The Old Book Bazaar nationalized by local authority were rebuilt as reinforced concrete constructions. There are 23 bookshops and 17 of them are double-deck. Among these shops, right at the middle ofthe Old Book Bazaar, it is possible to see the bust of İbrahim Müteferrika, the man who introduced printing press to The Ottoman Empire.

At the entrance, there are two book shops on the left and right side and they enable you to have new or second-hand books in exchange for your old books with a little money. Besides, jet, rosary, stamp and coin collectors open stalls in the garden on the entrance.

Even if you aren’t interested in books, ambiance in The Old Book Bazaar will definitely make you buy something. We suppose that you have enrolled The Old Book Bazaar in the list of sightseeing places.