A rustic, three story-Arabic bookstore in old Istanbul has become an anchor for many Syrians who have stayed put in Turkey but crave a taste of home.
The founder and owner of Pages, Samer al-Kadri, a refugee himself, says the store strives to be a bridge between Syrians, Turks and the myriad of foreigners who visit the city.
Its weekly programme includes music concerts and, starting soon, language exchanges in Arabic, English and Turkish. Books are available in all three languages. Al-Kadri is acutely aware that the language barrier "has made it difficult for Syrians to really integrate into society."
Turkey is hosting 2.7 million Syrian refugees and is due to receive many more under a plan with the European Union that aims to halt the smuggling of migrants into Europe. The deal stipulates that for every Syrian returned, another Syrian in Turkey will be relocated to a European country.
The plan has drawn considerable criticism from human rights groups, who worry that Turkey is not a suitable haven for asylum-seekers and fear it could pave the way for mass deportations.
Amnesty International says Turkey has already scaled down its registration of Syrian refugees and is illegally sending back refugees to its war-torn neighbour. Turkey has committed to giving work permits to its Syrian "guests" but there are signs this perk may be riddled with caveats.