The Ultimate Reading List for Books Set in Turkey
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Dreaming of visiting Turkey? You don’t need a plane ticket to experience this incredible country; you can get a taste of its landscapes, culture, and magic through books! From bustling Istanbul streets to peaceful Anatolian villages, these novels, non-fiction works, and children’s stories will transport you straight to Turkey.
Turkey is a country of contrasts and wonders. Nestled between Europe and Asia and surrounded by three seas, it has been a crossroads of cultures for centuries. Its landscapes range from sun-drenched Mediterranean beaches to rugged mountains, while its cities blend the modern with the ancient. The country’s rich history has shaped fascinating stories that are reflected in its literature.
And then there’s the food. Think fresh fish, olives, nuts, aromatic coffee, and the irresistible sweetness of baklava. Every meal is a celebration, often accompanied by a cool yogurt drink called Ayran, and of course, you can’t leave without tasting a proper kebab.
When it comes to adventures, Turkey has it all. You can relax in a traditional Turkish bath, marvel at Pamukkale’s snowy white terraces, soar above Cappadocia in a hot air balloon, or visit Tuz Gölü, one of the saltiest lakes in the world. And these are just a few highlights—you’ll find that Turkey’s magic is everywhere, even on the pages of a book.
All this history, culture, and flavor make Turkey a fascinating setting for writers. From groundbreaking novels to historical accounts and children’s stories, these books will bring Turkey to life in ways only literature can. So grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite chair, and let these books transport you straight to Turkey.
Novels and Fiction set in Turkey
If you’re looking to get swept away by story, these novels transport you straight to Turkey. From historical dramas and mysteries to family sagas and contemporary tales, they’re perfect for cozy evenings and literary escapes.
Motherland Hotel by Yusuf Atilgan
Translated by Fred Stark
Motherland Hotel is not an easy book to read. It has received critical acclaim for its experimental style, psychological depth, and bold depiction of the protagonist’s sexual obsession.
Zebercet is a lonely, introverted middle-aged man with a monotonous life spent within the walls of the hotel he runs. He is the last member of a prosperous Ottoman family.
The hotel is run-down, has 9 rooms, and is located near the railway station. Nothing exciting ever happens, except for his routine sexual relationship with the cleaning lady.
One day, a woman arrives at the hotel to spend the night and promises to return next week. Zebercet’s monotonous life changes radically. He waits for her, fantasizes, and becomes obsessed with the mysterious woman, gradually losing his sense of reality.
The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
This book will surely transport you to Turkey and make you feel the colors, the aromas, and the magic of its streets.
Between Fiction and reality, history and magic is the story of Armanoush, a young woman who recently arrived from Arizona in Istanbul to find her roots.
It is an interesting novel with strong female characters, which tells a family story that was affected by one of the darkest episodes in history: the Armenian genocide.
The Book of Devices by İhsan Oktay Anar
Translated by Gregory Key
You will want to share this book with your friends. The book follows the story of three generations of Ottoman inventors living on Galata Hill.
Yasef Celebi is the inventor; he dreams of earning large amounts of gold and ruling the world, but his inventions do not get the approval he expected. The invented devices are described in detail in the book, accompanied by illustrations that explain how they work.
As we follow Yasef Chelebi and his two successors on their quest for the secret of perpetual motion, the crumbling Empire undergoes drastic changes in the background, and Istanbul – the city of his dreams witnesses coups, westernizing reforms, and the advent of technological innovation.
The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
The story takes place in Istanbul in 1836, as the Ottoman Empire stands on the cusp of tradition and modernity, a change that will destroy it. But just as a radical change in the Empire’s policies is to be announced, a wave of assassinations threatens the fragile balance of its power.
Are the Janissaries, who for 400 years were the army of the Empire, making a brutal comeback? This history-and-mystery novel will not let you close the book until you finish it!
Buy on Amazon | View in Goodreads
The Janissary Tree is the first book in the Investigator Yashim series. Check out the rest of the series.
- The Snake Stone (Book 2)
- The Bellini Card (Book 3)
- EVIL EYE (Book 4)
- The Baklava Club (Book 5)
Memed, My Hawk by Yashar Kemal
Translated by Edouard Roditi
Memed, My Hawk is a 1955 novel by Yaşar Kemal. It was Kemal’s debut novel and is the first novel in his İnce Memed tetralogy.
Memed, a young boy from a village in Anatolia, is abused and beaten by the villainous local landowner, Abdi Agha. Having endured great cruelty towards himself and his mother, Memed finally escapes with his beloved, a girl named Hatche.
When he finally gets away, he is to set up as a roving brigand, seeking revenge. Will he get it?
Snow by Orhan Pamuk
Translated by Maureen Freely
In Snow, Orhan Pamuk explores the challenges of contemporary Turkey, torn between East and West, tradition and modernity. It is a poetic novel that explores love, the desire for happiness, and questions, while delving into power, politics, violence, and religion.
Ka is a Turkish poet who was exiled in Germany for 12 years and returned to Turkey in the early 1990s. He travels to the remote city of Kars, in the far northeast of Turkey, to write an article about the upcoming municipal elections and the wave of suicides among young women who have been forced to remove their veils to go to school.
At the same time, the beauty and melancholy of the snow that does not stop falling drives him to write 19 poems in just three days, which is the time in which the novel takes place.
The Time of Mute Swans by Ece Temelkuran
If you want to read something beautiful and moving, this is the way to go. The story is about a coup in Turkey, told through the eyes of two children: Ayşe and Ali.
Set in 1980 in Ankara, Turkey, it reveals the warring elements of Turkish society — between democratic leanings and communism, and the harsh crackdowns of a dictatorial government; between rich and poor; between beauty and terror.
It reveals the reality of life in Turkey in the 1971-1980 era with two coup d’etats and a bloody social history.
Two children: one from a family is living in misery, and one well-off form an alliance amidst the turmoil. And they hatch a plan.
For the first time in generations, mute swans have migrated from Russia to the Black Sea and a park at Ankara’s center. For the generals, they are an affirmation, and their wings must be broken, so they can’t fly away. But if the children can save one swan, won’t they have saved the freedom of all?
Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak
The story takes place in Istanbul in the year 2016. Peri is a wealthy Turkish woman, a mother, a housewife, and a contributor to charities. She is mugged as she heads out with her daughter to a dinner party.
As she fights off her attacker, an old photograph falls from her bag —a Polaroid of Peri and three other people in Oxford. A relic of a past – and a love – that Peri had tried desperately to forget.
Arriving at the party and looking at the wealthy guests, Peri’s mind is racing with memories conjured up by her nearly lost Polaroid. Memories from the time when she was first sent abroad to attend the University of Oxford, where she had become friends with the charming, adventurous Shirin, a fully assimilated Iranian girl, and Mona, a devout Egyptian American.
Three Daughters of Eve is a marvelous lesson in the clash between modernity and tradition and the vicissitudes of personal struggle. A must-read that entertains and informs without preaching.
Orlando by Virginia Woolf
Orlando is the first novel in history to feature a transgender person. A fictional biography of a gentleman, Orlando, born in the 16th century, during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, and lived until at least the first third of the 20th century.
During this time, Orlando lives a passionate love affair with a Russian woman named Sasha, writes a very long poem, and accepts a position as ambassador to Constantinople. One day, he changes sex for no apparent reason.
She lived with some gypsies for a while. Returning to London as a woman, she marries a sailor and meets some of the foremost literary personalities of the age.
Non-fiction books about Turkey
After escaping into novels, why not dive into the real stories of Turkey? These memoirs, travelogues, and history books give fascinating insights into the people, places, and culture. They’re perfect if you love learning while you read—or want inspiration for a future trip.
Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk
Translated by Maureen Freely
Istanbul is not a novel, a chronicle, a travel guide, or an autobiography, but it is all that and much more!
Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel Prize for Literature winner in 2006, was born in Istanbul and continues to write and live there today.
The 37 chapters of this book are full of stories, memories, and photographs that Orhan Pamuk offers us to learn about his intimate life and the city’s history, uniquely as only a local person can.
![Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2018] Bettany Hughes](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ms2MbAZ6L._SL500_.jpg "Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities [Paperback] [Jan 01, 2018] Bettany Hughes")
Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities by Bettany Hughes
If you are interested in history, this book will help you learn more about this great city, and you will enjoy an entertaining read based on impeccable research.
Bettany Hughes is a historian and television host. In addition to writing a large number of books, she has directed many documentaries for the BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, The History Channel, and ABC.
She has done much research on Istanbul’s six-thousand-year history in this book.
A city with three names: Byzantium, Constantinople, and Istanbul, and has been the capital of four empires: the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire of the Crusaders, and the Ottoman Empire. And a city that is the seat of both the Christian patriarchy and the Islamic caliphate.
And finally, the book contains:
- Black and white illustrations
- Maps
- Photographs that help better understand and contextualize some parts of Istanbul’s history
Tanpinar’s ‘Five Cities’ by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar
Translated by Ruth Christie
A book that is more than just that: a historical, architectural, musical, and literary picture of four Anatolian cities—Ankara, Erzurum, Konya, and Bursa—to which the author adds Istanbul.
If you are looking for travel with the imagination, Tapinar does an excellent job of describing the five capitals of the Ottoman Empire and the passage of the different civilizations that settled there.
Constantinople by Edmondo de Amicis
This book will make you believe that you have been there, at the same time and place as the author, even though more than 100 years have passed since it was written and published.
Edmondo de Amicis has done such a thorough, well-executed job that it is almost cinematic; you can visualize what you are reading.
It is the record of the author’s visit to Istanbul before World War I. He practically describes the entire city, giving a detailed history of the splendid ancient buildings and monuments and plenty of everyday anecdotes from his own experiences. He describes the people who live in different parts of the city, from the exclusive residential areas to the slums.
This book will provide enriching reading for history buffs or those planning to visit Istanbul themselves.
Istanbul: The Imperial City by John Freely
A book that presents a new part of the city we know, the time before the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul.
An in-depth study of this legendary city through its many different ages. From its earliest foundation to the present day, it is the perfect traveler’s guide.
The author divides the book into Byzantium, Constantinople, and Istanbul. In these pages, John Freely captures the flavor of daily life as well as court ceremonial and intrigue.
The book also includes a comprehensive gazetteer of all major monuments and museums.
Turkish Reflections: A Biography of a Place by Mary Lee Settle
Settle explores an enchanting and historical land where cutting down a tree is a crime, where goats are sacrificed to launch state-of-the-art ships, and where whole towns emerge at dusk to stroll the streets.
It is a wonderful book to read if you plan to travel to Turkey. The author navigates both geography and history. He goes around Turkey; he describes each area telling his story so that you learn, but at the same time feel part of the environment as if you were in Istanbul and these places were known and loved.
Osman’s Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire by Caroline Finkel
According to the Ottoman chronicles, the first sultan, Osman, had a dream in which a tree emerged fully formed from his navel “and its shade compassed the world”- symbolizing the vast Empire he and his descendants were destined to forge.
The Ottoman Empire was one of the largest and most influential empires. Its reach extended to three continents, and it survived for more than six centuries, but its history is too often colored by the memory of its bloody final throes on the battlefields of World War I.
Finkel provides a monumental account of the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, and the book includes many interesting details and illustrations.
Children’s Books Set in Turkey
Once you’ve had your own reading adventure, bring the kids along too! These picture books and stories make Turkey fun and accessible for little ones. They’re wonderful for bedtime, classroom reading, or sparking curiosity about the wider world.
Around the World in a Bathtub by Wade Bradford and Micha Archer
Bath time is different in all countries; what it does have in common is that children don’t want to know anything about it!
From a hammam in Turkey to a maqii on the Alaskan tundra, this book shares the nighttime bath ritual that happens every day around the world.
These stories and illustrations will entertain children and teach them the importance of personal hygiene.
I See the Sun in Turkey by Dedie King and Judith Inglese
Translated by Hilal Sen
This story is told by Mehmet, a Turkish child, a bright and happy boy, who shares a day in his life in Istanbul, Turkey. Mehmet’s life is quite similar to that of every other young child: he eats breakfast with his family, attends school, and enjoys spending time with his friends.
Readers tour the Old City through vibrant illustrations, fishing on the Bosphorus, and taking a tram ride past the Hippodrome.
Drummer Girl by Hiba Masood and Hoda Hadadi
Year after year, in the blessed month of Ramadan, little Najma has happily risen to the drumbeat of her neighborhood’s musaharati. She walks through the streets of her small Turkish village, waking each family for the pre-dawn meal before the long day of fasting.
Najma wants nothing more than to be a musaharati herself one day, but no girl has ever taken on the role before. Will she have what it takes to be the drummer girl of her dreams? Find out in this inspirational story of sincerity, determination, and believing in yourself.
The Seven Fairy Mountains of Cappadocia by Linda Socha Jaworski
Küçük, the smallest fairy mountain, is full of worry! Things begin to change in her village, and she desperately wants to help, but could she be part of the problem?
Read The Seven Fairy Mountains of Cappadocia to discover how even the smallest fairy mountain can bring about the biggest change! Join Küçük and her sisters in the land of Cappadocia, where a timeless, magical element still endures, and wishes really do come true!
What Are Your Favorite Books Set In Turkey?
Have you read any of these books set in Turkey? Do you have any favorite books set in Turkey that I should add to this list? Let me know in the comments below!
Where next?
Start with this list of the very best travel adventure books. It includes great reads that will fuel your wanderlust and have you staying up late to finish them. Also, check out the following series of book lists set in other wonderful destinations:
Books set in Greece | Books set in Italy | Books set in India
Best list I’ve seen for books set in Türkiye! Thank you!