Beyazıt Square is not only famous for the Beyazıt Mosque and Istanbul University, but also for the Beyazıt State Library, coffeehouses, and the Secondhand Book Bazaar which are all vivid hubs. Taking their names from the plane (Çınar) trees that encircle the Beyazıt Mosque, the Çınaraltı (“under the Çınar trees”) outdoor coffee houses’ history dates back to the period of Suleiman the Magnificent (Ottoman Sultan reigning between 1520 and 1566).

Another coffeehouse associated with Beyazıt Square is the famous Küllük Coffeehouse. Küllük Coffeehouse became popular when Darülfünun opened in 1923 and continued to get attention also from foreign teachers and intellectuals after 1933, which led to its functioning almost as an academy in a way. The square offered a new face and atmosphere in its surroundings between the 1930s and 1950s. Küllük Coffeehouse and Emin Efendi Restaurant have probably enjoyed their golden years during this period. The small bazaar adjacent to Küllük Coffeehouse and the mosque were also demolished between 1957 and 1958, during the time of Adnan Menderes.

Starting from the 1930s, Çınaraltı coffeehouses had become one of the best spots for Isanbulites and revolutionary students. After the 1980 Coup, revolutionary students began to gather in other neighborhood coffeehouses this time.