One of Istanbul’s historic centers of publishing, Cağaloğlu, reopened a renovated pedestrian lane on Friday as “Cağaloğlu Booksellers Street,” a project by the Fatih Municipality aimed at reviving the area’s literary life.
The refurbished street, which preserves the neighborhood’s historic character, brings together publishing houses, bookshops and readers. The project covers Küçük and Şengül Hamamı streets and will host book sales as well as author events.
Speaking at the opening, Presidential Council on Culture and Arts Deputy Chairman Iskender Pala underscored the street’s significance for Türkiye and Istanbul.
“For nearly a quarter century, this kind of space was missing,” he said. “Some people passed away without getting to see it, and they would have been very happy. I believe this is only a beginning. The values of the book, which lie at the root of our civilization, must be represented even more.”
Pala said the historic setting places responsibility on everyone involved. “This distinguished place should serve as an intellectual ground for Istanbul,” he said. “We must work here with dedication, leaving our mark.”
Istanbul Deputy Governor Ünal Kılıçarslan said he frequently visited Cağaloğlu’s bookshops even before his appointment to the city.
“After I arrived, many bookshops left this area, and that saddened me,” he said. “So I was very glad to hear of this project. It is a major contribution to our cultural world.”
Istanbul Provincial Education Director Murat Mücahit Yentür said the street fills an important gap. “During our school years we had places like Beyaz Saray and Üretmen Han. Today there is a great need for such a space,” he said. With 3 million students in Istanbul, he added, the street will be used to support students’ engagement with books. “The street may be small, but its function will be big.”
Istanbul Provincial Culture and Tourism Director Hüseyin Keskin thanked the Fatih Municipality for its work.
“Mayor Ergün Turan has opened a new chapter in cultural municipal services,” he said. “Maybe there are only 12 bookshops here, but the spirit of what is being done is enormous. Without the president’s support and the dedication of everyone involved, this beautiful place might have been used for completely different purposes.”
Turan said the project fulfills a longstanding wish.
“When I was elected mayor in 2019, the president immediately asked me, ‘What will happen to Cağaloğlu Booksellers Street?’ He was very upset about the difficulties here,” Turan said. “Today, thankfully, we have realized his wish.”
He said families have begun to return to the area. “We reserved the lower floors of the buildings entirely for bookshops and do not want them used for other purposes,” he said. “There is deep, sincere effort behind this project. If I were asked to list the top five works of my seven years as mayor, this modest project would be among them.”
Mustafa Karagüllüoğlu, chairman of the Press and Publishing Association, said the opening brought much-needed morale during difficult times for the sector.
“It made us feel we are not alone,” he said.
Federation of Publishers’ Professional Associations (YAYFED) Chairman Münir Üstün said the street will enrich the country’s cultural life.
“We are part of a large sector,” he said. “More than 1 billion books are published each year in Türkiye, including 450 million with banderols. The claim that ‘people don’t read in Türkiye’ is a myth - please don’t believe it.”
Erhan Erken, head of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Assembly, said he has been in publishing for 40 years.
“Cağaloğlu is an important place for us,” he said. “We watched publishers leave this area with great sadness. Seeing them return after so many years is exciting. May this historic place become a bridge between the old and the new.”
The opening ended with a prayer by Fatih District Mufti Abdurrahman Şenoğlu and drew strong interest from publishers and book lovers.
