Turkey: The Growing Number of Arabic Bookstores In Istanbul Draws the Attention Of Arab Readers

In the last few years, Istanbul especially the Fatih area became a hub for tens of bookstores for Arabic books. The growing number of bookstores can be attributed to the flows of Arabs and Syrian refugees who reside in Turkey. According to the local authorities, about 5 million Arab people live in Turkey, including 1 million at least in Istanbul. However, bookstores for Arabic books are having a hard time in securing many books, because they are usually brought from Arab states, which in turn increases their prices in terms of the customs, not to mention that they are being sold in Dollars from their state of origin. Still, some bookstores are being funded by many entities in an attempt to promote the culture of reading. Some of these bookstores have libraries for reading, holding cultural symposiums, and book signing events. Moreover, they accommodate various collections of books in different fields including philosophy, religion, and history, along with a section for kids, given the fact that a new generation of Syrian kids was born in Turkey