There is a library that is dedicated to everything about Istanbul which is the patron of Çelik Gülersoy’s collection of books about Istanbul which he had collected from 1986 till the day he passed away in 2003. The library opened in 1992 and has been serving İstanbul lovers for the last 33 years. It is walking distance to Saint Sophia in one of the most beautiful streets of Sultanahmet. It is inside a lovely Ottoman Mansion.
If you ever get a chance to visit the library, you will be welcomed by a rich collection of books, visuals and maps about Istanbul.
In the Library, you will also get a chance to see the wide range of books Gülersoy wrote about Istanbul from bazaars, palaces and mansions to İstanbul islands as well as his museum room and photos that remind us the legacy he left behind.
I would especially recommend you to have a glimpse of his book on Soğuk Çeşme Street which is the street where the Library is located. It shares the painstaking reconstruction of an old İstanbul street from its ashes, all of which we owe to him.
It might be wise to pay a visit to this beautiful library before it vanishes just like many secret gems dedicated to culture in Istanbul!
Please note that the Library is only open on tuesdays, wednesdays and thursdays from 9:00 to 16.00.
