Amid an air of literary fervor, the 9th Üsküdar Book Fair welcomed the first book enthusiasts on Friday and was ceremoniously inaugurated on Saturday in the presence of Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, the mayor of the hosting municipality and distinguished figures from the writing community.
Hundreds of visitors rushed to partake in this celebration of literature, organized by Üskudar Municipality in Bağlarbaşı Congress and Culture Center.
Set to last for nine days, the fair features some 550 writers and dozens of publishers from Türkiye who will meet readers through book signing ceremonies and book talks.
In his opening remarks, Kurtulmuş highlighted the historical role of Üsküdar, while also acclaiming projects undertaken by its mayor, Hilmi Türkmen, which he said contributed to the historical culture of Istanbul.
"Üsküdar is a city that is both in history and a city that lives its history in the present. Üsküdar is a city that saw conquests and is a city that lives its history in the present by watching the historic peninsula,” Kurtulmuş said.
“It is a city that makes history for the future with events like this,” he added.
The district of Üsküdar is one of Istanbul's oldest established residential areas, situated on the city’s Asian side, and home to emblems of the city, including Maiden’s Tower, Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Çamlıca Hill, Şemsi Pasha Mosque and Beylerbeyi Palace.
Encompassing the central area of the city, it borders the Beykoz, Ümraniye and Kadıköy districts while overlooking the European side of the city dotted with Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia Mosque, Blue Mosque, Galata Tower, Dolmabahçe Palace and the Beşiktaş district.
Looking at it in the modern era, and particularly in recent years, it is also a district boasting a vast number of sports facilities, cultural venues and programs, and is particularly recognized for its libraries.
Underscoring projects undertaken in recent periods, Kurtulmuş further touched upon the importance of books in one’s life and said books and reading were “one of the two most important fundamental dynamics of life.”
“A book is a form in which people convey their knowledge, experiences from the past, what they feel today, and what they have obtained scientifically, and it (represents) their expressions turned into forms,” he explained.
“But we know that even in some of those small-sized books, we get in our hands, there are great efforts and experiences, and that not only the person or the people who wrote that book, but also the entire environment and experience that allowed those people to grow are reflected in the sentences in the book.”
“In fact, when we look at it with this feature, we (see that) the book is not just an accumulation of sentences and pages, but also a life itself,” he noted.
Türkmen, for his part similarly highlighted the historical connotation of the district and underscored the significance of its location and relative proximity to other districts, thus being very accessible in terms of visiting the ongoing fair.
He also acknowledged notable interest in the fair and said they have obtained a record by receiving some 200,000 visitors last year while hoping for this figure to grow even further this year.
As every year, the fair has its special guests with this year's guest of honor being Rector of the National Defense University Erhan Afyoncu and guest writer Ibrahim Tenekeci.
In addition, this year's organization dedicated a special book talk to hailed Turkish novelist and intellectual figure Alev Alatlı, who passed away earlier this month.
Catering to diverse literary tastes, the fair boasts a rich array of titles, ranging from timeless classics to captivating content tailored for the younger audience. With numerous publishers showcasing a plethora of historical works, attendees are offered countless titles and stands that will remain open until Feb. 25.
