When I travel to a certain city I always search for the local bookstore. I know it reflects the culture and the vibe of the city, let alone the country itself. Since 1995 Homer Bookstore has been a temple in Istanbul for archaeological and literature books. It has been a cave of knowledge where you will come out with extra data. It's to my surprise that I had not written about it earlier and I was so glad that it was not claimed by the other Spotters.
Now, Homer Bookstore has moved to its new place. A three storey old Pera Building that reflects the atmosphere of old İstanbul and also the modern touch of the books. It's a beautiful crafted building and a perfect location for authentic architecture. The first floor is dedicated to children's books, which by the way is the most affluent in town, the second floor is about Turkey and the third floor (my favorite) is what Homer is well known for, archaeology.
It has a huge table for you to go through books but the main attraction is the oriel. That's the perfect spot to turn pages. In a time where book-stores are closed down or turned into stationeries, Homer has developed into a version 2.0 and it's by far the best news for book lovers. It has a wide range of books especially for locals and travelers. If you want to spend quality time and some money, do stop here. You will NOT be sorry.
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