Tevfik Fikret, one of the most important poets of our literary history, has lived in between 1906 and 1915 and has been hosting the museum as a museum since 1945. Along with the items belonging to Tevfik Fikret and his family, various items of prominent artists of Tanzimat literature period are exhibited.
The plans of the museum were drawn by Tevfik Fikret himself and built as a garden house near Robert College where Tevfik Fikret was a teacher. The house, which was completed in 1906, was purchased by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality after the loss of Tevfik Fikret’s life and opened its doors for the first time on August 19, 1945 under the name of Literature-I Cedide Museum.
The grave in Tevfik Fikret’s Eyüp Family Cemetery was moved to the garden of the museum in 1961 and the name of the museum changed after taking the name Aşiyan Museum. The museum has been closed for a while due to the restoration and has reopened its doors since the year 2012.
Departments in the Museum
Salon Department: In the hall section on the entrance floor of the house, sculptures made by Tevfik Fikret’s objects and poet’s wax are exhibited. The main works of art in the hall section are named ‘Sis’ (made by Tevfik Fikret), ‘Chrysanthemum Vase’ and ‘Nazime Hanım Baby Backs’ made by Tevfik Fikret, made by Sehzade Aldemecid Efendi. In addition, photographs belonging to the father of Tevfik Fikret’s father Hüseyin Efendi and his son Haluk are among the works exhibited in the museum.
Literature-ı Cedide Department: The room that Tevfik Fikret used as a resting room during the time he lived in the house became a museum and then photographs of his literary friends of Tevfik Fikret started to be exhibited. There is also a table of Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem, which was built by the last caliph Abdulmecit Efendi.
Abdülhak Hamit Tarhan Department: The name given to the room in the northern section of the museum. After Abdülhak Hamit passed away, his wife donated the goods of the poet to the Istanbul Municipality and artifacts are exhibited in this museum afterwards. The photographs of Şaire, the poet’s table made by Şehzade Abdülmecid, also took place on the walls of the museum.
Study Room: Located on the top floor of the museum, Tevfik Fikret’s library, auto portraits, calligraphy plates and poetry writing desk are on display.
Bedroom: The most important piece exhibited in the room where Tevfik Fikret lost his life is the face mask taken by Mihri Müşfik Hanım after the death of the poet.
Dining Room: In this section, dinner sets belonging to Tevfik Fikret’s family and still life works of the author are exhibited.
Poet Nigar Department: This is the section where the articles donated to the museum by Salih Keramet Nigar, son of Poet Nigar Hanim, were exhibited in the museum and there are also archives.
Kitchen – Laundry Division: When you look out of the kitchen window called Sokrat’s Window by Tevfik Fikret, the magnificent sea view will greet you. There is a laundry room next to the kitchen. Items such as laundry boiler, cooker, hood, washing machine are exhibited in the laundry.
Garden Department: If you think of the museum as a whole, the garden section also has an important place. Tevfik Fikret has made sitting places, tables, ornamental pools and walking paths so as not to disturb the natural beauty of the garden.
