If you are reading a library blog, it’s not going out on a limb to assume you are a fan of libraries and have probably visited a library or two. Have you ever wondered about the oldest libraries? As part of National Library Week, we will explore the origins of libraries. Because I am trying to teach myself Turkish (what can I say, I am addicted to Turkish dramas and sometimes the subtitles don't cut it!), I decided to explore the history of Turkish libraries.
Hattuşa - Bogazköy Archive
Although not as famous as the pyramid-building Egyptians, the Hittites had a powerful empire that controlled Anatolia (modern Türkiye) for several centuries before their decline in the 13th century BC. Located near Boğazkale in central Turkey, the spectacular ruins of their capital city Hattuşa yielded a collection of 25,000 clay tablets known as the Hattuşa - Bogazköy Archive, discovered by German archaeologists in 1906.
These tablets are written in cuneiform and serve as a rich source of information about life in the Hittite Empire. In true library style, the tablets encompass diverse subjects, including treaties with other rulers, court records, astrological predictions, religious texts, and my favorite: practical guides to horse breeding. Particularly close to our librarian hearts, the archive includes one of the earliest recorded library catalogs—a list of titles designed to help readers locate specific tablets.
The Library of Pergamon (modern-day Bergama, in Western Türkiye)
A thousand years later, the Greeks held power in Asia Minor, and their ruler, Eumenes II, built a monumental acropolis featuring a gymnasium, a stoa (multistory public building), and a legendary library to celebrate his achievements. At its peak, the library housed thousands of scrolls, attracting scholars throughout the region. Although scholars debate whether the Attalids invented parchment (specially prepared animal skins), they refined and improved it to such an extent that Rome eventually ditched papyrus in favor of imported Pergamon parchment for its scrolls. Fun fact: The English word parchment is based on the Latin word for Pergamon, Pergamum.
Library of Celsus (Ephesus, near present-day Selcuk, Türkiye)
If you've ever gotten a spooky feeling in a dusty old library, spare a thought for the scholars of Roman-era Ephesus, who had to study atop someone’s grave. Built as a mausoleum for former Roman consul Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, the Library of Celsus was commissioned by his son in AD 171 and completed during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Celsus himself was entombed underneath the structure in a lead casket (he is indeed still there). A stunning building, the library stored around 12,000 scrolls and featured unique architectural elements, including hollow niches built behind the shelves to enhance air circulation and reduce humidity, a key enemy of book preservation. Although the contents were destroyed by fire during the Gothic invasion of 272, and an earthquake in the 10th Century badly damaged the building, the library's facade was restored in the 1970s and today draws tourists from all over the world.
The Libraries of Constantinople (Istanbul was Constantinople, but before that, it was Byzantium, people!)
Though we know it today as Istanbul (not Constantinople), Turkiye's principal city was initially called Byzantion, a Greek fishing town established on the shores of the Bosporus Strait. In 324, the Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantion (by then renamed to Byzantium), renaming it Constantinople. To support the scholars who flocked to the city to study the new faith, libraries sprang up around the city, including the Patriarchal Library, which housed theological texts (and several heretical texts for scholars to study and refute). Constantine himself supported an Imperial Library, where scribes worked busily copying Greek and Latin texts. The Imperial Library was severely damaged by fire in 476-77, possibly during a religious riot, and it is not firmly known whether the library survived past this date. However, the learning preserved in Constantinople was arguably one of the major forces that led to the development of the Renaissance.
Library of Ahmed III, Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
The only library on this list that remains functioning is the Library of Ahmed III, located in the heart of Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, which is a testament to the Ottoman Empire's commitment to learning and literacy. A must-visit for any bibliophile visiting Turkey, this library boasts over 20,000 books and manuscripts documenting Ottoman history and a substantial collection of unpublished and uncatalogued maps. Established in the early 18th Century by Sultan Ahmed III, during the Empire's Tulip Period, the building's ornate architecture and decoration are genuinely worth a visit. Topkapi Palace was the home of the Sultans for three centuries and holds untold other treasures, including artifacts, weaponry, and clothing.
Now that I have dug into the history of Turkish libraries, for my next blog, I am going to focus on a special day for New Zealanders, Anzac Day, which also interweaves Turkish history, World War 1, and the development of my tiny, former colonial nation into an independent country (also the best biscuits (cookies) ever invented. I said it, and I'm standing by it). Also, if I had to recommend just one Turkish drama, it would be Maraşlı (seriously, it's sooo good!).
Hailing from New Zealand, Ngaire Smith currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina. She has worked in academic libraries both in the USA and New Zealand for many years and believes strongly in the power of librarians to help students succeed in their studies.