The owner of the first yali found here was the daughter of Mustafa Reid Pasha, Ferendiz. Later on, this yali was acquired by the Director of the Munitions Office of the time, General Ahmed Afif Pasha, who had it demolished and replaced with the yali we see today. Dating back to the first decade of the 20th century, Osman Reis Mosque found on the flat area of the entrance of the yali on the landside was also commissioned by Afif Pasha and built as the last major work by the renown French-Ottoman architect Alexandre Vallaury. After Afif Pasha, his son Fuat Bey and his wife, Refia Sultan, who was one of Abdul Hamid Khan's daughters, resided at the yali. Subsequent to the death of Refia Sultan in 1938, the yali's new owner was also the operator of the Pera Paths Hotel, Misbah Muhayyes. Upon her passing, this beautiful yali was bequeathed to Cemil Muhayyes, whose heirs sold it later on. The yali became rundown over time and regained its former beauty through restorations carried out in subsequent years.
The yali has been referred to by the name 'Ahmed Afif Pasha' ever since it was built. Rising to the rank of General, Afif Pasha was the director of the Munitions Office at the time and had a high salary. Afif Pasha, who was also the son-in-law of Marshal Ahmed Eyup Pasha, would bring high quality furnishings back with him on frequent trips he made to Europe. These furnishings from Afif Pasha's time were preserved at the yali until the 1990's. Known for his fondness for food and tobacco, Ahmed AM Pasha passed away in Nice in 1920.
Constructed in the Art Nouveau style, this yali, like many other Bosphorus yalis, leaned against a wide wooded area. Designed as a summer yali, the structure is comprised of a three-story lath and plasterwork positioned over an ashlar block service floor. Exhibiting architecture that is distinct from the traditional Bosphorus yali, its harem and selamlik sections are situated under the same roof. Both Oriental and Occidental architecture elements are seen in this yali, i.e., onion bulb domes and wavy overhanging eaves. Contrary to the other three facades which were kept rather plain, the seaside facade has a rather ostentatious appearance. The yali plan kept the seaside facade narrower than the landside facade, thus allowing the other rooms a glimpse of the sea as well. The corner rooms situated in the left and right wings of the seaside facade facing the sea in the manner of small 45° indentions lend beauty to the yali from both an architectural as well as a visual aspect. Two towers were added to the landside in order to provide balance to the side facade of these indentions, which are highlighted with towers. The onion-head towers are another important architectural characteristic that distinguishes this structure from other yalis. A rich appearance was achieved with the roof chimneys arranged in the same style as the towers.
The main entrances of the structure are found on the two side facades; entry into the building is provided via triple-branch staircases. The ceiling of the ashlar block service floor on the bottom is relatively squat. While the floor is stone-paved, the hearth with figures of birds crafted into ceramic tiles is quite striking. The ceilings in each of the yali's 22 rooms are embellished with plaster cameos and gold-leaf engravings. The walls were left flat. There is a corridor, a hall and seven rooms (four seaside and three landside) on the first floor. There are also seven rooms on the top floor. There is a hall in the middle of this floor, which features a long, slim balcony. There are large crystal mirrors hanging over the fireplace imitation consoles found in the dining room. There are bay windows in the rooms found in the corners; each of these indentions turns into observation towers on the upper floors. There is also a small balcony on the top floor which also features a hall and rooms. One ascends into the towers from the sides. One of the finest rooms of this T-shaped roof plan structure is its belvedere. There is a green plate found on the underside of the gutter of the section that overlaps the small balcony; it features an inscription in Arabic, which means, "Allah is the finest protector and it is He who is most merciful."
The road that was paved in 1950 separated the yali from the woods it once leaned against. The small, quaint auxiliary structure, which was the boathouse situated adjacent and beneath the yali has been turned into separate land parcels. Today, this elegant piece of Bosphorus yali culture continues to salute the picturesque waterway from Istinye Bay.
