First Arabic focused bookshop of Istanbul has opened. Located in the historic Fatih district, within quick reach from the Chora Museum, the bookshop is hosted in a four-story building. Named as Pages, the bookshop also has a chic cafe.

With it’s cosy and elegant space, in Pages it is possible to browse over 2,000 books available in Arabic, Turkish, English and French.

The founders of the bookshop, Gulnar Hajo and Samer al-Kadri are also the founders of a children’s book publisher, Bright Fingers. After moving from Syria to Istanbul in 2013, the owners saw the need of Arabic books ad decided to open up the first Arabic bookshop in Istanbul. Besides the books and the cafe, Pages also functions as a cultural center and gallery space, hosting events and screening films.

Books in Arabic will be ordered from Lebanon and shipped to Istanbul.

“It will be international and special,” said al-Khadri. “It will be a space for Syrian people and Arab and Turkish people to connect, a place where they can communicate. There are lots of writers in Turkey; we will hold book signings. It’s not just about sales; it will be a space where people can find each other.”