Archive
Tell your troubles
to Markopaşa.
Follow the traces of Aziz Nesin through newspapers, magazines, cartoons and documents.
Explore the publications
Aziz Nesin left around 1,500 files containing nearly 300,000 documents.
Drafts of stories, novels and plays, revisions, notes… Memories, keepsakes… His diary… Letters, photographs, precious documents dating back to the Markopaşa years… Many are in Ottoman Turkish. Aziz Nesin took notes in the old script because he could write faster that way.
Aziz Nesin Library
Nesin Vakfı was not only a home for children, but also Aziz Nesin’s home until the end of his life. It therefore holds an important cultural heritage.
Our library contains 70,000 books, around 35,000 of which belonged to Aziz Nesin. They include rare books, copies dedicated to him and books in which he made notes while reading.
Our library grows richer every day. After Server Tanilli’s death, his son Bülent Tanilli donated all the books in his father’s libraries (around 15,000) and his magazine collection to the foundation, in accordance with his father’s wishes.
Both the Aziz Nesin Archive and Library are open to all researchers. You can view our catalogue here (PDF download). To visit, please arrange an appointment at nesinvakfi@nesinvakfi.org .
Our newspaper collection
From 1955 to 1995, Aziz Nesin bought and kept every newspaper published nationwide. We therefore have a forty-year newspaper collection. It takes up an enormous amount of space. While he was alive, Aziz Nesin wanted to send it to SEKA for recycling and was only just persuaded not to. Unfortunately, we face the same dilemma today. The collection needs to be saved and put to use. We need a bookbinder. We are willing to give it to an institution that can make use of it.
When no support came for this project, we once again had to do it ourselves. We began archiving the newspapers, slowly but steadily. Most are done; only a few remain. Binding them was not enough: we also needed bookshelves. We managed that too. Now we have a priceless treasure. (The flood of 8 September 2009 destroyed a small part of the collection, but what remains is still invaluable.)
Our magazine collection needs similar work; we welcome support.
Following the trail of humour
From newspaper and magazine pages.
For more, you can visit the Aziz Nesin Archive and Library at Nesin Vakfı.
Markopaşa
Malûmpaşa
Merhumpaşa
Hür Markopaşa
Bizim Paşa
Öküz Mehmet Paşa
Yedi Sekiz Paşa
Zincirli Hürriyet
Başdan
Yeni Baştan
Cumartesi
Zübük
Ali Baba
Medet
“Markopaşa was a newspaper of struggle through humour—a struggle in the fullest sense.”Aziz NesinRead about Markopaşa in his own words
Traces of a lifetime
Explore the archive.
- Ömrüne sığmayan adamIn his own words, photographs and documents.
- Detailed chronologyMilestones in Aziz Nesin’s life.
- Books and editionsWorks, covers and publishing records.
- Photographic archiveAziz Nesin’s photographic archive.
- Awards and honoursAwards and gifts accompanying a lifetime.
- Video archiveAziz Nesin on film, in his own voice.