Sahaflar-the oldest book market in Istanbul

Hi! Very love book bazaars. You find yourself in a wonderful and fabulous world of knowledge. You take a book in your hands and flipping through the pages with a sinking heart. If you come without a specific purpose to the book market, you can drown from abundance. Today we look at the old book market of Istanbul Sahhaflar Çarşısı. All the booksellers of the world know this market. It is located next to the Grand Bazaar. >This year marks the Sahhaflar Çarşısı 560 years!  If you are heading from Hagia Sophia to the Grand Bazaar, then I advise you to visit the second-hand market. It's gonna take a while. The Bazaar itself is small, but you can see a lot of antique books and manuscripts. You can find here books in Russian and see old maps. For book lovers it's a Paradise and the exotic. Then you can safely move on to the famous Grand Bazaar.  The oldest University in Turkey will serve as a landmark. He called Ünıversity Istanbul/Istanbul University. This University is the most prestigious in Turkey and the history of its dates back to 1453. Istanbul University has 17 faculties and the largest library. Foreign students very often choose this University, which employs 2,000 professors from different directions. Currently, more than 60 thousand students from around the world study here. The scientific sphere is developed. The number of graduate students exceeds 8 thousand. The second market is located near the University walls, which is very convenient for students. And you will be comfortable in that you will see the oldest and most prestigious University in Turkey, then walk through the expanses of the book market and go to the Grand Bazaar.  There is a flea market in front of Istanbul's famous book market. Turkish rosary beads are sold here. Flea market I call "Sedative pill" joking. For me, it's a joke, and for Muslims, it sells an important religious attribute. >Prayer beads in Turkish sound like tesbih / tesbih, which means "remember".  It is on this flea market you will find a variety of beads. They are made of wood, ivory, precious stones, coconut and even gold. It is worth noting that the Turkish masters are one of the best masters for the production of beads. Rosary usually consists of 99 beads. Do not pay attention to the gloomy view of the flea market. If you need to buy something of high quality, everything is available here. You just have to look.  On a very ordinary flea market, you can find the extraordinary beauty of the rosary. Masters of needlework will offer beads for every taste and cost. Usually Turkish men are always clear, women at home can practice with them. And at the flea market the accumulation of almost exclusively men. To try, ask the price. It should be said that the Muslim believer in the house up to 50 different beads for any occasion. Some pick them up by the color of the suit. Our world is very interesting and fascinating. After all, Turkish men necessarily need such an attribute. It helps a bit to focus and calm violent temper. For 4 years in Turkey, I conducted some survey. From the first day of my stay, I noticed that Turkish men are very fond of making out with someone. Then my observations were confirmed. Some men in communication often say that they have it as an internal need. Some I just asked and they confirmed that love poptosis and someone even beat. >The nation, which has always been in some battles, still does not give rest to the internal state of the Turkish men. So readable, though slightly, but relieve tension colors inside the Turkish men. Sometimes I notice how they are very intensely through them. I don't think they can pray that fast...  So we came to the main entrance to the oldest book market in Istanbul. Immediately see a beautiful watch with a wooden frame. It's a Turkish craftsmen are doing with their hands. Old record players are very much appreciated. In Istanbul, a lot of shops where you can buy and gramophones and records. In the antique part of the Grand Bazaar you can find an exclusive master who sells gramophones amazing sound. It's called the gramophone-a woman. This man knows the whole market.  In the courtyard of the book market there is a very old washbasin. Here you can drink some water. But next to the dumpster, I didn't think it was a good idea. The marble washbasin has been standing here since the opening of the market. Previously, the entire market was made of wood. In the 19th century, all the shops with very valuable exhibits and books burned. Suffered a lot of historical and antique items. Soon the authorities rebuilt everything. Now it is a stone structure, in which a total of 23 premises.   Calligraphy is a world of art in Turkey. Many Turkish masters are engaged in aesthetic design of the text. Sheikh Hamdullah is considered to be the founder of Turkish calligraphy. Signs with colorful labels are sold all over Istanbul. The Turks themselves love their homes and offices to decorate with such paintings. Who loves calligraphy, that will be an interesting souvenir in the form of some wise phrases or simply Arabic letters. Even more interesting figure, and next to the beautiful Arabic letters or phrase. >Istanbul has the only Museum of calligraphy in Turkey - Turkish Foundation Calligraphy Museum It is located next to the Sahaflar book market in the former madrasah of the Beyazit mosque. Many sultans of the Ottoman Empire were passionate about calligraphy. There will be time to visit the Museum.  In the book market, you can find copies of maps that were created in the Ottoman Empire. The map of the famous Admiral Piri Reis is always of great interest. Contemporaries are still lost in guesses how it was possible to create such a clear map in those days. The map shows both America, the Antarctic coastline and much more. It dates back to 1513. Piri Reis used a knowledge of spherical geometry that was described in the 18th century. >The original Piri Reis map of 1513, which is painted on a piece of Gazelle leather, is stored in the library of Topkapi Palace Interesting findings in Turkey began with the coming to power of Ataturk. In the study of the Topkapi Palace was found a huge number of books, charts, manuscripts, paintings, engravings, household items, etc. Piri Reis map found in Topkapi in 1929, when the Palace was preparing for the status of the Museum. All this I tell you so that you know that copies of some interesting finds in Topkapi can be purchased at the Sahaflar book market.  Writer and founder of the first printing houses in the Ottoman Empire Ibrahim Muteferrika In the center of the courtyard of the book Bazaar is a monument to the founder of the first printing house of the Ottoman Empire, which began to print books in Turkish. For a long time the sultans sharply negative attitude to the printing press. Although in the Byzantine period was quite a lot of printing. But the influence of Arabic and Persian cultures greatly affected the Turkish language. Since the Quran was written in Arabic, it was considered a sin to reprint it by machine. That is, the cult of the Arabic language, which was considered sacred, flourished. >Sultan Ahmed III (the era of tulips and reforms) revived the printing business in the Ottoman Empire in 1727 In the press could do different books, except religious subjects. This played a major role in the development of the Turkish language. It was in this era that The sahaflar book market became the center for book exchange and sale of books in the Ottoman Empire. >Currently, about this market we can say that it is particularly interesting for book gourmets and students  **Sahaflar presents a huge number of books for students and researchers. Especially for rare books go only here.** Sellers are very attentive people. Will gladly give you a tour of his shop. I propose to drink tea. Agree to such an action, learn a lot. As a rule, this is where sellers speak English. And it is very informative to see what is on the book markets of other countries.  Various Souvenirs and magnets, as everywhere in Istanbul, a huge number. But for Souvenirs, except for those that I described above, it is better to go to the Grand Bazaar.  So our little tour of the compact book market of Sahaflar came to an end.  After going through the entire book market, you will get to one of the entrances to the Grand Bazaar.