Bookshops of the World, Vol. 2: Beyoğlu, Istanbul
Whenever I visit Istanbul, I like to stay in Beyoğlu. Hilly, historical, and packed with turn-of-the-century buildings and much, much older landmarks, it makes me feel alive. Cats wander the streets and check in on you as you eat meze and drink cocktails to your heart's content in the evenings. People sit at little tables in tiny restaurants, having conversations in Turkish, English, French, and Italian. You feel the history in the air, and I very colloquially understand the Derridean concepts I struggled with early in grad school, (pleasantly) haunted by local family history. My grandfather studied up the hill at the Galatasaray Lycée, established in 1481. My great-grandparents lived nearby. Feeling utterly at ease in their ghostly midst, I feel compelled to do what I most love and go in search of books. On the last morning of my latest visit, my partner and I did just that. Below, photographically, are some of our finds:
