Overlooking the unique view of the Bosphorus, located in the Bebek Kayalar neighborhood, the Aşiyan Museum was designed and built in 1906 by Tevfik Fikret, one of the pioneers of Turkish literature. Fikret, a leading figure of the Edebiyat-ı Cedide (New Literature) movement, named this elegant house “Aşiyan,” which means “bird’s nest” in Persian. The transformation of this name over time into not just a house but also the identity of a neighborhood—and its inspiration for songs and movies—is a testament to how Fikret’s aesthetic vision made a deep impression on the city’s memory.

Tevfik Fikret lived in this unique house from 1906 to 1915. Afterwards, it was sold by his wife Nazime Hanım to the Istanbul Municipality in 1940. Five years later, in 1945, thanks to the efforts of then Minister of National Education Hasan Ali Yücel, it was opened to visitors under the name Edebiyat-ı Cedide Museum, becoming Turkey’s first literary museum.

The museum not only houses Fikret’s personal belongings but also features the collections of prominent literary contemporaries like Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan and Şair Nigâr Hanım, thus offering a unique completeness in the history of Turkish literature.

In 1961, Tevfik Fikret’s remains were moved from the family cemetery in Eyüp to the museum’s garden, in accordance with his will; after this meaningful relocation, the institution’s name was changed to Aşiyan Museum.

Today, with a growing number of visitors each year, the Aşiyan Museum continues to be a special stop that leaves a deep mark on Istanbul’s collective memory, attracting those interested in culture, literature, and art.