The library of the DAI Istanbul is the oldest and most comprehensive reference library in the field of archaeology in Turkey.

The collection includes around 75,000 volumes of books and more than 200 periodicals. It has an annual growth of approximately 1000 volumes. It also maintains the excavation house library at Bergama (2650 volumes) and houses the heritage libraries of Ekrem Akurgal (5000 volumes) and Martin Bachmann (1000 volumes). The books are digitally catalogued through iDAI.bibliography / Zenon. At the same time, library data is integrated into the iDAI.world system.

Open to all interested visitors, the library offers a wide range of literature on all periods of the cultural history of Turkey and the neighbouring regions in book and digital media. The library collection includes books on topics ranging from the prehistory of Turkey to the archaeology of the Near East, the classical archaeology of Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean, Byzantine studies / Christian archaeology, the material cultural heritage of the Eastern Mediterranean up to the 19th century, and the urban history of Istanbul up to the present day. It also has extensive holdings in the fields of building research, restoration and site management/monument conservation.

In addition to providing academic literature, the DAI Istanbul library fulfils an important role as a cultural archive. Thanks to its long collection history and the fact that it survived the Second World War unharmed, it also preserves rare artefacts, some of which are unique in Turkey. The inventory also includes a large collection of maps of Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean countries. The integration of these maps into iDAI.world is still in progress.

The library is also a unique point where different academic circles and traditions intersect. It not only covers the international literature on the cultural history of Anatolia, but also makes the rich ancient literature in Turkish available to an international audience to an unprecedented extent.