The Bazaar That Brings Together the Smell of Books and the Timbre of Music

The bazaar that brings together the smell of books and the timbre of music in Konya

The 5-storey Rampalı Çarşı, which has been a frequent destination for book and music lovers in Konya for years, draws attention with its spiral ramps that provide transitions between floors and extend from the ground to the roof.

Rampalı Çarşı, which is in demand as it is near the city center of Konya, brings book lovers, students, academicians, musicians and music lovers together at the same address. In the 5- storey bazaar, which takes its name from its architectural structure, the transitions between the floors are provided by spiral ramps that extend from the ground to the roof without interruption. Some citizens who lose their way between floors can find the exit with the help of shopkeepers.

In the bazaar, which makes it possible to reach all kinds of books, from manuscripts, novels, textbooks to academic publications, the sound of music is never missing thanks to the shops selling instruments and the masters who give lessons.

Heaven of Books

Hasan Yıldırım, who has been selling books in the bazaar for 13 years, said that “the bazaar is one of the symbols of the city. Besides students, especially old book lovers frequently visit the bazaar. You can find anything about books in the bazaar. We can call the bazaar as “Heaven of Books”. I think it is one of the best places about the books in Central Anatolia, may be in Turkey. We can add the music to it.”

ESPECIALLY THERE ARE VISITORS COMING TO SMELL OLD BOOKS

Hakkı Bıyık, one of the second-hand booksellers of the bazaar, also said that “those who get used to spend time in the bazaar to wander and some to mingle with books. There are especially some visitors who come to just smell old books. Apart from those who come to buy books, there are those who like to wander in books. There is a leaden substance inside the books that does not age. The smell comes from this. The paper also has a feature. Wherever it is, it takes the smell of the environment. Some of the visitors come in order to smell the old books. Even those who won't buy it, come and smell it as 'second hand' and say, 'This is an old book, it's fifty years old, its smell is still there'.”