127 schools in Istanbul have ‘historic building’ status

Gülseven Özkan – ISTANBUL

Some 127 schools in Istanbul have “historical building” status, including 80 on the European side, 43 on the Anatolian side, and four on the Princes’ Islands, according to information from the provincial directorate for national education. 

Many of these school buildings require careful preservation measures and have therefore been subject to restoration works over the years. Accordingly, the 2016 and 2017 budgets provided 45,073,874 Turkish Liras (around $13 million) for the protection of 14 historic schools. 

Restoration works of some of these schools have already been completed, while work is still ongoing for the rest. The budget allocated for the famous Kabataş High School (“Kabataş Erkek Lisesi”) is the highest of these 14 schools, as its dormitory building needs considerable restoration. 

The Nişantaşı Anatolian High School is among the schools whose restoration work was completed by the beginning of the 2016-2017 education year. The authorities have spent a total of 4 million liras for that school’s restoration, which started in 2014 and ended in 2016. 

The history of the school’s establishment dates back to 1849 and its current principle, Nizayi Çoban, said he was pleased about the outcome of the conservation work, noting that it had strengthened the building against the risk of a possible earthquake. 

Separately, the authorities will also this year restore the building of the Istanbul provincial directorate for national education, which was severely damaged in a fire in 2012.