As an independent publishing house founded in 2011 by the personal initiative of a group of people who are part of the Istanbul Greek community, istos contributes to the studies on the history, culture and life of the Greeks of Turkey and the city of Istanbul by reviving a publishing tradition that has been interrupted for decades. Not content with the notion of ‘nostalgia’, istos seeks to replace nostalgia with an ongoing current practice.
Since our foundation we brought Turkish, Greek-Turkish, and Greek works together with the readers through the series Testimonials, Politics and History, Elenika, Mikroistoria and Komikosmos. While we introduced “basic” books and texts that can now be considered historical documents into Turkish, we also presented Turkish and Greek literary and academic studies produced in Istanbul today.
Based on the knowledge accumulated by the Greek community and the studies on Turkish society of which it is a part of with all its components, we hope to continue our effort and to expand it towards the minority phenomenon in the Balkans and the Middle East.