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Sahaflar Carsisi, the second
hand book bazaar, stands in
the old courtyard between
Beyazid Mosque and
Grand Bazaar. It's one
of the oldest markets of
Istanbul built on the
same site as the
Chartoprateia, book and
paper market of the
Byzantines. However it
wasn't until 18th century
that booksellers settled
their shops here leaving the
Grand Bazaar. Printing
and publishing legislation
introduced soon after thus
enabling the trade to expand
in the whole courtyard. Also
during this century the
market remained the main
point for book sale and
distribution within the
Ottoman Empire, and a
gathering place for
intellectual people.
Unfortunately in the last
50-60 years the market lost
its importance due to
inevitable rise of modern
bookstores and lately of the
internet. Today there are
still some old books, new
ones, and examples of
Ottoman miniature pages
can be found.
The Sahaflar Bazaar is open
daily except on Sundays and
during public or religious
holidays, with the exception
of smaller stores. |
