Children from the Black Sea province of Giresun are heading to a historic Catholic church that has been serving as a children's library for years in the city's Çınarlar quarter.

Reported to be built in the late 18th century, the historic church has been well-preserved and actively ran as a place of worship until the region's Christian population gradually diminished over the years. Since the mid-20th century, the church has been serving children with more than 10,000 books.

The church had undergone a restoration and landscape renovation a couple of years ago, offering children a chance to enjoy reading in a historic atmosphere. Locals or tourists travelling to the city generally pay a visit to the church as a historic attraction.

Melike Atamer, a student living in Giresun, said the church was restricted to visiting before it began to serve as library, but many come here for reading and they at least learn a little bit about a different culture. In the last six months, around 10,000 students visited the library, situated in an archaeological site under preservation.

In the same quarter, another historic mansion has also been serving as a public library for the last two years. Thinking that less people are reading books regularly, initiatives encouraging the youth to spend more time in libraries are precious, Kemal Gürgenci, the head of the city's tourism and culture department said.