Kenar Kitabevi

Alsancak Mahallesi Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cad, Alsancak Mahallesi, 1440. Sk. No:9 D:2, 35220 Konak/İzmir, Turkey

Wandering around Izmir, I came across a small side street in the pedestrian shopping area that was the home of a few book stores. The first one that I spotted was Kenar Kitabevi and as I went inside, up a few steps, I came across hundreds of books in English. The bookstore is a maze and when there I noticed a few guys hard at work, rearranging books, moving a big cabinet-cum-bookshelf from one room to the other and doing what was necessary. This didn’t stop them from stopping to greet us and also offering tea. The decor was simple with a rustic feel; my kind of bookstore. I even managed to add to my collection of Ernest Hemingway books by adding a few in Turkish.

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Bohemian books

Wandering around Izmir, I came across a small side street in the pedestrian shopping area that was the home of a few book stores. The first one that I spotted was Kenar Kitabevi and as I went inside, up a few steps, I came across hundreds of books in English. The bookstore is a maze and when there I noticed a few guys hard at work, rearranging books, moving a big cabinet-cum-bookshelf from one room to the other and doing what was necessary. This didn’t stop them from stopping to greet us and also offering tea. The decor was simple with a rustic feel; my kind of bookstore. I even managed to add to my collection of Ernest Hemingway books by adding a few in Turkish.

Back door of a great bookstore

Kenar Kitabevi is a quirky bookstore in the Turkish city of Izmir and is excellent if you are short of reading material. There is a large selection of use paperback books in English at reasonable prices. The average book was 8 Lira, which is around $4-$5. Even if you don’t need a book, have a look around.

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