A book chronicling the history of Krepen Passage has been published under the title Where is Krepen Passage?, accompanied by numerous documents and images—many of them made public for the first time.
Written by Ümit Nar and released by Turkuaz Sahaf Publishing, the work revives a forgotten chapter of Beyoğlu’s history with the meticulousness of an antiquarian bookseller. Known today as Aslıhan Passage, Krepen Passage is portrayed in the book through its restaurants, shopkeepers, antiquarian booksellers, regular patrons, the social events that took place within its walls, and its contributions to Beyoğlu’s literary and cultural life—depicted in rich detail like a “paper archaeologist.”
The passage is notable as the place where Edip Cansever wrote his poem Ben Ruhi Bey Nasılım?, and as the inspiration for Oğuz Atay’s short story Beyaz Mantolu Adam. It welcomed a remarkable roster of figures—from Mösyö Rober and Aktedron Fikret to Cihat Burak, Ece Ayhan, Ara Güler, İlhan Berk, Salah Birsel, and Hayalet Oğuz—and was one of the most famous Pera passages, the subject of long discussions and correspondence between Çelik Gülersoy and Behzat Üsdiken.
The book’s launch included a talk in Ankara, hosted by Mustafa Türkoğlu (Berdelacuz Sahaf) and moderated by city historian Ömer Türkoğlu, where Ümit Nar discussed the culture and diversity of booksellers and readers in Istanbul and Ankara, the city’s iconic passages, restaurants, and shopkeepers, as well as similarities and differences between the two cities. The author is also set to meet readers in upcoming talks and signing events in Istanbul and Izmir.
Demirören Yayınları, Prof. Dr. Süleyman Berk’in hazırladığı ‘İlahi Çizgiler: Hat Sanatının Öncüleri’ adlı eseri okurlarla buluşturdu. Eser, geçmişten günümüze hat sanatına yön veren büyük ustaların hayatlarını, eserlerini ve estetik miraslarını bir araya getiriyor. Kitapla ilgili konuşan Prof. Dr. Süleyman Berk, “Hat sanatının gelişiminde bir hocadan meşk almak çok önemlidir. Bu birinci yoldur. Ancak ikinci yol da ondan ayrılmaz: Eskiden yapılmış güzel eserleri incelemek. Bu nedenle, kitabın hat sanatı yolculuğuna çıkan sanatçılar için yol gösterici olacağına inanıyorum. Demirören Yayınları da bu kitabı özenli bir şekilde basarak önemli bir hizmet yerine getirdi. Benim de temennim, bu eserin okuyucular için faydalı olmasıdır” dedi.
The book "Syria in the Era of Sultan Abdulhamid II" , featuring photographs from Ottoman-era Syria, has been presented to history enthusiasts by Demirören Publishing. Containing texts in Turkish, English, and Arabic, the book includes 200 black-and-white and colorized photographs specially compiled from the Yıldız Photography Albums, prepared by order of Sultan Abdulhamid II. The work showcases documentary photographs ranging from the construction process of the Hejaz Railway to the old streets of Damascus, from the magnificent caravanserais of Aleppo to the silent ancient cities of the desert
The masterpiece Beauties of the Bosphorus by English author Julia Pardoe has been republished by Demirören Publishing in a special edition enriched with 80 color engravings. Speaking about the book, Emin Nedret İşli, President of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association, said: “It is a very special, valuable, and rare book that depicts all the past beauties of Istanbul both through Pardoe’s writings and through the engravings made by Bartlett. With its orientalist perspective portraying the beauties of Istanbul and the East, this book has attracted great interest both in the West and in the East.”
The stories depicted on the walls of the Chora Church (Kariye Mosque)—considered the last masterpiece of Byzantine art and given its present form in the 14th century by one of history’s greatest patrons of the arts, Theodoros Metochites—have been compiled into a book. Published by Demirören Publishing, Kariye Chora: A Story of Transformation from Church to Mosque presents the narratives illustrated in its mosaics and frescoes. The bilingual edition (Turkish and English) contains 60 stories accompanied by nearly 100 photographs. Archaeologist Dr. Murat Sav stated: “The Renaissance in Italy had, in a sense, already begun in this church during the Byzantine era. Figures began to grow in size and elongate in form. There is no other building in Byzantium with such intense visual and iconographic detail. Here, there are very special elements. The mosque is surrounded by paintings and mosaics depicting some of the miracles of Mary and Jesus. Chora is a truly unique structure, and for this reason, it must be understood correctly both in a touristic and cultural sense.”
During his tenure, architect Antoine Ignace Melling—one of the rare foreigners granted the privilege of entering and depicting the harem after being received by Hatice Sultan, the sister of the sultan—created engravings of Istanbul and the Bosphorus shores, preserving the natural appearance of 19th-century Istanbul for future generations. Melling compiled these engravings, which vividly reflect the spirit of the era, into a book published in France in the early 1800s. Demirören Publishing has now released a facsimile edition of this work, published in Turkish, English, and French.
The history of the Krepen Passage has been published under the title Where is Krepen Passage? , accompanied by numerous documents and images—many of them published for the first time. In this work, author Ümit Nar, through Turkuaz Sahaf Publishing, revives a forgotten scene from the history of Beyoğlu with the meticulousness of an antiquarian. The book narrates in detail—like a “paper archaeologist”—the Krepen Passage, known today as Aslıhan Passage, with its restaurants, tradespeople, antiquarian booksellers, regular patrons, social events, and its contributions to Beyoğlu’s literary and cultural life.
At the Sahaflar (Antiquarian Booksellers) Festival held in Üsküdar Square, around 43 antiquarian booksellers set up stalls. Visitors from various regions—including İzmir, Ankara, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Erzurum—flocked to the event. Emin Nedret İşli, President of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association, said: “As antiquarian booksellers, we are very pleased with this event. Rising book prices have affected the book trade in general, but for antiquarian booksellers the picture is somewhat more optimistic. Some books in second-hand shops, especially out-of-print editions, can be more affordable compared to the current prices in the new book market. Interest in antiquarian bookshops has been growing, particularly among young people, students, and dedicated book lovers.”
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