The constant crowds and the endless rushing can sometimes make Istanbul feel like the least conducive city for study. What’s more, the never ending stream of exciting distractions that is life in Istanbul makes it hard to focus on work and research. However, although it took me some time, I eventually found my peaceful corner where I can do all the work I need to get done. İslam Araştırma Merkezi ISAM is a large research institute situated in Üsküdar. It’s part of the 29 Mayıs University located in Kültür Merkezi area of Üsküdar.
ISAM’s vast library houses not just private collections but tens of thousands of books on subjects pertaining to literature, history, sociology, philosophy, language, etc. Becoming a member of ISAM is straightforward: just hand in an Öğrenci Belgesi (student certificate), a passport photo, and 5 lira for membership. You will get a card in 2-3 days with which you can enter the library without hassle or being forced to leave your documents at the entrance. But, there is a catch – it is only for Masters and PhD students, as well as researchers. Undergraduate students will have a problem gaining full membership. However they do allow you to enter a couple of times before they start asking to pay for the full membership. So in the worst case, you can use the resources the first couple of times to take all the data you need from the books, or just ask a friend to copy out the books in the copy shop they have in the institute, which may solve your problem of needing material to do your work.
Overall, I highly reccommend a visit to this study paradise, as I like to call it. In my opinion out of the couple of other libraries and research institutes (SALT Galata, IRSICA, etc.) it is among the best, most peaceful and most well equipped institutes in Istanbul.
