the 3am second-hand book auction in Zafer Çarşısı

Dusty yellowed paperbacks, a heated bidding war over a 1950s map of Anatolian railways, and strong black tea poured non-stop in tiny tulip glasses.

Deep in the subterranean passages of Zafer Çarşısı, retired professors, university dropouts, and night owls gather around a wooden crate every Thursday night. The auctioneer speaks in rapid-fire Turkish, holding up first editions like sacred relics.