Country’s largest library Rami opens its doors

ISTANBUL

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has opened the country’s largest public library complex, Rami Library, revived from the 250-year-old artillery barracks in Istanbul.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry revived the library from the 250-year-old artillery barracks in Istanbul.

The Rami Barracks, which was built for the Ottoman army to serve as barracks in the eighteenth century, was converted into a library after about four years of restoration and repair work.

Rami Library, the largest library in Türkiye, was designed as a large campus with 24-hour free study and reading halls, a disabled-friendly section, group and individual study halls and children’s and adult library sections.

The library also has a 51,000-square-meter garden.

In this garden, amphitheaters, reading areas, stages, children’s playgrounds, exhibition areas, as well as a walking and cycling path are located.

The Beyazıt State Library service units and sections such as the mosque, masjid and child care rooms were also put into service within the campus.

Under the instructions of the Turkish Historical Society and the Atatürk Scientific Board, the Atatürk Research Specialized Library’s section and an area where manuscripts can be observed and repaired were also designed.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that Rami library will be the library that receives the most visitors in the country.

“The library will provide 24/7 service. This campus does not consist of only the library. We brought a new lifestyle to Rami. We designed a captivating garden that has a natural appearance like Central Park and Hyde Park abroad,” Ersoy stated.

Osman Zorlu, the general coordinator of Rami Library, stated that the library is among the top three largest libraries in the world.

“In order to protect this artifact, we have started the necessary work for it to be included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List,” he said.

The Rami Barracks was built in the middle of the 18th century during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III, while it was repaired with the order of Sultan Mahmut II.

The barracks, which was actively used until the 1960s, was transferred to the Istanbul Municipality in 1980. The barracks were used as a parking lot, a football and sports field, and a food warehouse.