The end of this semester is approaching quickly. Along with it, come final projects, papers, tests, presentations, and a number of other things, which may seem to be designed for the sole purpose of robbing you from your sleep. However, spending whole weeks at the same place (study mode) can drive anyone crazy, and sometimes you need to get out (and study) rather than sulking around in your apartment. Here are 8 study spots in Beyoğlu including cafes, libraries, and bookstores where you can spend copious amounts of time hogging wifi and drinking all the coffee in the world.
Mavra is an eclectic and cozy cafe a few cobblestone steps away from Galata Tower. Books, art, and crafts litter the walls of this small and intimate café, which is full of various sized tables that are great for group study. The main draw though, is its late hours. The cafe is officially open until midnight but, generally, as long as you stay there, they stay there.
Address: Şahkulu Mah. Serdarı Ekrem Sk 31/A Galata
Opening Hours: Everyday, 9 AM to 2 AM.
Nestled in winding streets littered with antique shops, Holy Coffee is a super friendly small cafe in the hip Çukurcuma neighborhood. The cafe always hosts a rotating exhibition with art from local Istanbul artists. The crowd is usually a diverse array of foreigners ranging from musicians to travelers, as well as a resident cat. The daily baked goods are always a delicious study break, you know, a reward for writing that paragraph in the last hour.
Address: Kuloglu Mah. Hacioglu Sokak No: 1B Çukurcuma
Opening hours: Everyday, 10 AM to 8 PM.
Journey is exactly what I imagine my apartment to be like one day when I have a lot of money and access to better cloths. There are plenty of loungy seating options on both levels with hundreds of books strewn throughout, although the upper level is more quiet and comfortable with a long table. While the food can be quite expensive, the coffee and çay are averaged price. Plus, their Turkish coffee is one of the best in the city; a specialty is their Turkish coffee with milk.
Address: Kılıçalipaşa Mah. Akarsu Cad. No: 21-A
Opening Hours: Everyday, 9 AM to 1 AM.
SALT Galata is a mix of a research library, art gallery, think tank, museum, performance center, and a design student’s dream come true. The main library has lots of study space with tables and cushioned seating, but there are several secluded spots that make ideal study rooms. Moreover it is always quiet enough to read through all of that assigned reading you have been ignoring for three months. Get there early on Saturdays to ensure a good spot. There is also a large outdoor setting area and a cafe in the same building.
Address: Arap Cami Mh., Bankalar Sk No:11
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12 PM to 8 PM.
This bookstore does actually not have a name nor a set address, but walk down the Hazzopulo Passage, past trinket shops, to the open area filled with low tables and trees. Then turn left and to the end, near a short step, is a bookstore to the left. The bookstore has a long row of low-lying tables next to a brick wall with hanging books. While this place has no wifi and is a bit louder than other spots, it is a great place for study groups to meet over a revolving door of çay.
Address: Tomtom Mh. Istiklal Caddesi No: 116
Opening Hours: Everyday, 10 AM to 11 PM.
Atatürk Kitaplığı (Atatürk Library)
The Atatürk Library is a stone throw away from Taksim Square, built over a large park. There is ample table room and reading spaces with huge windows that look out over one of the few areas of greenery in Istanbul. It has the right amount of quiet and seclusion to write a paper.
Address: Gümüşsuyu Mh. Mete Caddesi 45 Taksim
Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
Tezgah Kitabevi is part bar and part coffee shop. A short walk away from Istiklal Caddesi, the spot is a peaceful recluse from the hustle of the busy district. The main feature is the wall of hundreds of books staked one on top of the other. Never too noisy or crowded, and this establishment is open very late in the night.
Address: Tomtom Mh. Yeni Çarşı Cd No:36A Galatasaray
Opening Hours: Everyday, 2 PM to 2 AM.
Türk Alman Kitabevi, located at the Tünel end of Istiklal offers a perfect haven from the bustle of the street outside. Located on two floors, the German language bookshop (on the ground floor) has a variety of German and Turkish books while upstairs is an impressively large space, with the many windows, high ceiling and pillared coffee bar lending the room a welcoming, yet serious and unpretentious feel. There is ample seating upstairs, and a variety of big and small tables and while often busy, the room manages to retain a library-esque hush. The south-facing windows offer views onto the gardens of the Swedish consulate next door while the front facing ones give onto Istiklal. In wintertime the open fireplace becomes a real draw.
Address: Beyoğlu İstiklal Cd No:237 (34431) / İstanbul / Türkiye
Opening Hours: Weekdays, 7 AM to 10 PM; Weekends, 9 AM to Midnight
Comment below and let us know your favorite studying places aroun Beyoğlu!
