A Byzantium Library in Istanbul: From the Library of Holy Trinity Monastery of Halki to the Library of Theological School of Halki

Abstract

While the old libraries in Ottoman Istanbul attracted interests of many researchers, libraries under Byzantine Istanbul did not take so much scholarly attention. Focusing on the Ottoman period, this article examines interconnected history of the Libraries of Holy Trinity Monastery of Halki and Library of Theological School of Halki. The former played important role for the formation of relationship between Western and Eastern theologian intellectuals in the age of Religious Wars in the 16th century. The transformation of the library of Holy Trinity Monastery of Halki into the library of Theological School of Halki in the 19th century had significance among Christian theological circles in the early 19th century when an independent Greek Kingdom and Church was established. Discussing the importance of the libraries in an international context, this article contributes the Ottoman cultural studies.