The Presidential National Library, which welcomed 1.9 million visitors last year, was inaugurated on Feb. 20, 2020, with a ceremony hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The event was attended by Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, along with 2,500 academics, scientists and prominent figures from the culture and arts community.
The National Library, with a closed area of 125,000 square meters (1,345,488.8 square feet), 201 kilometers (124.8 miles) of shelf length and a seating capacity of 5,500, is considered “Türkiye’s window to the world” with its architectural design, rich collection, cultural and art spaces and technological capabilities.
The National Library has given new momentum to libraries and librarianship in Türkiye. In addition to its information resources, services and contemporary library practices, it operates as a living library, culture and art center, providing 24/7 service to readers and visitors of all ages, educations and cultural backgrounds.
The library hosted 48 meetings and discussions last year, the library’s collection includes 2.5 million printed books, 2.9 million periodicals from 23,400 magazines, totaling 5.4 million printed resources.
Additionally, the library offers access to 950,000 e-books, 7.5 million e-theses, 233 databases from 73 main databases and over 330 million articles, reports and similar content from 125,000 e-journals.
On weekdays, 5,000 to 6,000 readers use the library daily; on weekends, the number rises to 12,000 to 15,000. Last year, 1.9 million readers and visitors visited the Presidential National Library.
Since its opening, the library has hosted nearly 7 million readers and visitors over five years.
The Science and Technology Workshops and Nasreddin Hoca Children’s Library held 1,650 events over four years.
Last year, the library hosted 48 meetings and discussions, welcoming 20,712 people. In 2024, 10 exhibitions were also opened at the library.