Aşık Veysel Museum

Ashik Veysel Museum, in Turkey, in Sivas, in the village of Sivrialan of Şarkışla district, is the home of the famous folk bard Ashik Veysel arranged as a museum.

The house where Ashik Veysel Şatıroğlu was born was expropriated by the Ministry of Culture in 1979, renovated in 1982 and opened to visitors as a museum. The museum, consisting of the house and an annex built in 2012, exhibits Ashik Veysel's photographs, personal belongings, poems, works published about him and a wax statue.

Between the two buildings there is a section called the "Dark Room". In this section visitors pass through the dark room to understand the world of the blind Ashik Veysel. In the museum Ashik Veysel is presented to blind visitors with embossed writings.

History

Having lost his sight as a result of a flower disease, Ashik Veysel was discovered by Ahmet Kutsi Tecer at the Ashiks Festival organized in Sivas in 1931 and his poems became known nationwide. After traveling many provinces and teaching saz at six village institutes, he said, "All my feelings are in my ears... In the city those noises close my ears," and in 1946, with a sudden decision, returned to his village, engaged in farming and died on 21 March 1973. His house in the village was expropriated in 1979 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The house, consisting of two rooms and the adjoining kitchen, storage and living room, was arranged as a museum and opened to visitors on 21 March 1982.

In 2009 it was restored by the General Directorate of Cultural Assets and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; it was reopened to visitors on 7 December 2012. Its design and curation were reorganized in 2012 within the "Inter‑Museum Cultural Alliance Project" of the "EU‑Turkey Intercultural Dialogue Museums Grant Programme" carried out by the Sivas Museum Directorate together with the Synskadades Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. During the reorganization the museum building was renovated with environmentally friendly materials and the exhibition area was redesigned. At this time a two‑storey additional building was constructed next to Âşık Veysel's house, and the second floor of the annex was arranged as a guesthouse.

Within this project a documentary was prepared about Âşık Veysel's life that includes some radio and television recordings that had never been published before. The documentary prepared by Hacı Mehmet Duranoğlu is regularly shown at the Âşık Veysel Museum and at the Synskadades Museum in Sweden. The documentary is presented with English subtitles and sign‑language narration to provide an accessible experience for every visitor. According to a news report published in 2023, an average of 20,000 domestic and foreign visitors come to the museum within a year.

After the death of Cemal Şatıroğlu, Âşık Veysel's grandson who had long served as the museum guide, the role was taken over by Mustafa Güleryüz, the son of Eyüp Güleryüz, one of Âşık Veysel's companions.

Visit plan

The museum is arranged to provide easy access for all visitors, including those with visual impairments. Large panels featuring photographs of Âşık Veysel and excerpts from his memories greet visitors. The first room on the left is the room where Âşık Veysel died. In this room the poet's pipe, mouthpiece, rosary, wallet, packet of tobacco, pipe case, and cup are exhibited as special items. The wax statue of Âşık Veysel seated with his saz is in this room. On the wall there is a panel with Âşık Veysel's signature and fingerprint.

In the first room on the right side of the main door there are L-shaped wooden benches and a television. Visitors can sit on the bench and watch the Âşık Veysel documentary. The adjacent room contains a kitchen. In the kitchen, items such as the copper pot, plate and cup set, güğüm, and luxury lamp used by Âşık Veysel are displayed. A large family photograph and articles about him from old magazines are hung on the wall.

In the salon section there is Âşık Veysel's oil painting, photographs, face mask, and his son's saz. There is also a study desk with a visitor log and a library containing works written about him.

In the section that connects the house with the annex, called the "Dark Room," the phrase "Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım" written in Braille for visually impaired individuals is displayed, while for other guests a Âşık Veysel statue appears after 2–3 seconds of darkness as part of a placement art.

After the salon section, visitors pass through the dark room and enter the annex. In this section there are designs presented with large panels about Âşık Veysel. The design in which Âşık Veysel's verses are printed on small colored cards and hung from the ceiling like a sky is one of the most popular sections.