The story started in 1862. It was the time of a great turmoil in the country: the Ottoman empire was in process of dissolving, creating social unrest. After the declaration of Tanzimat, serial reform attempts were made creating many businesses including printing and publishing. The printing business was centered in Beyazıt Hakkâklar Bazaar and team Bab-ı Âli.

The same year, a man named Hacı Kasım Efendi from Hoy, a town of Iranian Azerbaijan arrived in Istanbul and rented a store in Beyazıt. He started a small library as well as his own printing business together with other members of his family. His eldest son Naci Kasım issued and printed ‘Saatli Maarif Takvimi’ – a wall calender which presents many useful knowledge and save tips for daily life which became very popular among households.

Hacı Kasım Efendi’s daughter Talat Hanım married Mehmet Sadık Kağıtçı Bey, the owner of the Afitap store and founder of ‘Ece Agenda’. Does, were born which kept the family business alive until today.

Published first in 1910 under the name of ‘Muhtıra’ later named ‘Ece’ in 1932, these agenda witnessed a century of Turkish history: the decay of the Ottoman Empire, invasions years of the salvation war, and the founding of the Republic, the two World wars, various economic and social depressions. Ece Agenda accompanied millions of people’s daily lives, among them many famous writers, intellectuals, politicians and businessmen.