History under the hammer at Istanbul’s ‘sahafs’

ISTANBUL

If you walk downhill through the narrow side streets branching off Istanbul’s famous İstiklal Avenue, you will find yourself in Tophane, a neighborhood along the city’s iconic strait.

Inside one of its old arcades is a quaint secondhand bookstore, where, every weekend, auctions take place for volumes both foreign and Turkish, along with an eclectic mix of other items — posters, CDs, vinyl records, and more.

Book auctions have been common practice for decades at Istanbul’s secondhand shops, known in Turkish as “sahafs.” But actual congregations like these have become harder to find in recent years, since many establishments have carried bidding online since the Covid outbreak.

According to the owner of this sahaf, Burak Bilgiç, bringing people together is essential to keeping the traditional auctions, or “mezats,” alive.

“This is a social space,” Bilgiç says. “People don’t come here to shop,” so much as to relax, talk about books, and connect with each other in a welcoming atmosphere.

Sahafs can be traced back to the early years of the Ottoman Empire, during which Istanbul served as the capital for over 450 years. It was particularly in the 15th century that the city’s Grand Bazaar became a central hub for commerce, including book trading.

A short walk away, the Beyazıt area has long been a focal point for Turkish literary culture.

These early bookshops were established by scholars and scribes, offering handwritten manuscripts and religious texts at a time when printed books were scarce.

By the 17th century, sahafs had become lively centers for auctions where rare books, historical documents, and ephemera — items like pamphlets, posters, and other printed materials not originally intended to last — were exchanged.

Today, the Sahaflar Çarşısı, a bustling hub of secondhand books and rare finds adjacent to Beyazıt Mosque, is a key spot where Türkiye’s literary history and cultural heritage are preserved.

But Bilgiç’s secondhand shop is in Tophane, a booming art district across the Golden Horn waterway that went through a rapid transformation in the last decade, blending contemporary growth with its traditional roots.

Before auction day, Bilgiç says they go through the books brought by sellers to shortlist what goes under the hammer.

“Books are selected a day in advance. We check their condition, making sure they’re readable and ready for sale. On the day of the auction, we send out messages to inform buyers of what’s available,” he says.

“The supplier sets the initial price, but depending on the book’s condition, I can adjust it.”

According to him, the most competitive bidding usually goes on for first editions, signed books, engraved publications, or old Ottoman texts.

Prospective buyers who arrive early gather inside the arcade, where they chat over Turkish tea and a couple of cigarettes, as they wait for the auction to begin.

“Without our regulars, this business wouldn’t work,” the owner says, as he sets up chairs for them.

The bookstore’s loyal customers come from varied professions, but most are retired white-collar workers, including former government officials, teachers, doctors, bankers, and lawyers.

This group consists of people who have known each other for a while, are familiar with each other’s interests and expertise, and can easily predict what to bid on. Among them are individuals who speak multiple languages, including old Ottoman Turkish, and many can identify the author and year of a book just by its cover.

History and memorabilia

The auction begins with books published in the 1990s and 2000s, with prices starting at a modest 10 Turkish liras, the equivalent of about 30 cents, depending on how rare the book is and its condition.

Halis Çanakçı, a teacher with a keen interest in geography and literature, placed a bid this week on a rare geography textbook from the 1960s, originally published by the Turkish National Education Ministry.

“The reason I chose this book in particular is not just because of the words and geographical terms, but also because it includes pictures from that time,” he says, flipping through the pages to show a photo of Mt. Agri in eastern Türkiye.

“Considering the resources available back then, it is a remarkably well-made book.”

Çanakçı also became the owner of an Ottoman-era Quran, estimated to be over 100 years old. Though worn and weathered, he intends to have the Muslim holy book restored to the condition it “truly deserves” at his regular bookbinder.

At the auctions, it is not just the books enticing buyers. Crowds are also drawn to ephemera — everyday items like tickets or posters, meant to be temporary but often holding cultural or historical value.

With a colorful buff wrapped around his head and cargo pants completing his laid-back look, Cemal Bahadır has been a regular at the book auctions for the past 10 years.

A retired banker, he now spends his time collecting musical memorabilia, from CDs to records and tapes, with a focus on Turkish folk-pop, Turkish classical music, and hits from the 1980s and earlier.

Bahadır says he plans this week to place a bid on a vintage Sony radio, which also functions as a clock.

“It had that Sony quality, which is why it caught my attention,” he explains.

“Many of us are both collectors and sellers. Over time, we end up with so many items, so we start selling or trading them.”

Unfortunately, Bahadır’s bid for the Sony radio does not win, and it goes to another buyer for 80 Turkish Liras.

Another long-time regular, Mehmet Güntekin, is the conductor of the Turkish Presidential Classical Music Choir.

A prominent figure in Turkish classical music, he is known for preserving Ottoman-era compositions and sharing them with international audiences.

Music is not his only passion. Guntekin, who considers himself a photo collector, has spent over 20 years attending auctions to collect books and ephemera related to Turkish music history.

He recalls how Beyazıt’s historical Sahaflar Çarşısı once hosted separate auctions for shopkeepers and book enthusiasts.

“The Sahaflar Çarşısı had a leader, called the sahaflar sheikh,” he says.

“When he got a cartload of books, he would sort them by subject,” Güntekin explained, adding that the sheikh would then distribute the books to each of the shops based on their specialization.

As the mezat at Bilgiç’s sahaf comes to a close, those with winning bids gather their items and bid their goodbyes, ready to return next week for more valuable pieces of history.