Historical school in Büyükada opens its doors after renovation

ISTANBUL

Following a two-year restoration work in line with its original texture, a historical school building called Taş Mektep (Stone School) in Istanbul’s Princes’ Islands has opened its doors to visitors 45 years after being abandoned.

The “heritage team,” affiliated with the Istanbul Municipality’s Cultural Assets Directorate, initiated a restoration project at the school building in August 2021. With the completion of the restoration efforts, the school building has started to serve as a multipurpose cultural and arts complex, consisting of exhibition areas, a library and an open-air amphitheater.

Taş Mektep, located in Büyükada, was built in the second half of the 19th century by a Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Sofronios.

Also known as the “Sofronios Mansion,” the school building served as Patriarch Sofronios’ summer residence for a long time.

In 1922, the building was purchased by the Istanbul Istanbul Municipality and started to be used as a school. With its new name, the Köprülü Mehmed Paşa School became the first Turkish school in Büyükada that hosted mostly Greek population at that time.

The school’s name changed to Büyükada Elementary School in 1924. Commonly referred to as the “Old School” among the locals, the “Stone School” served as Büyükada Elementary School until 1967 and then continued to operate as Büyükada Middle School for Büyükada students. Due to the risk of fire, the school building was evacuated during the 1978-79 academic year.

In August 2021, the municipality’s heritage team embarked on a comprehensive restoration project to revive the Taş Mektep, which had been abandoned for years and was at risk of collapse.

Following a series of approved projects by experts and historians, the team first removed the additional structures and works that were implemented and were not in line with the building’s original texture.

In the next phase, the wooden frame roof construction of the school was completely renovated, and the upper cover of the building was completed.

Strengthening measures were implemented to ensure resilience against the expected earthquakes in Istanbul. Window and door frames were reproduced to match the original details. The applied techniques that brought out the building’s characteristic texture, combined with the reinforcement of surrounding walls and landscaping efforts, transformed the Taş Mektep into a revitalized living space that gives a breath of fresh air to its visitors.

Following the completion of the two-year restoration project, Taş Mektep was officially reopened in an event on the evening of June 18, attended by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.