Pertevniyal High School

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1872

Location:

Fatih, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Pertevniyal Sultan

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • The school began education on 6 April 1872 in Aksaray, next to Valide Mosque, under the name “Mahmudiye Secondary School.”
  • The first building became unusable after the Aksaray Fire; the school continued education in a mansion around Sinekli Bakkal under the name “Mahmudiye Secondary School.”
  • In 1930, a 17-room reinforced concrete building was constructed in the southern part of the present campus; the building was located on the site of the Forfor Mustafa Paşa Mansion.
  • The building, constructed as a primary school in 1930, was converted into a high school by decision of the Ministry of National Education; full-cycle high school education began in this building on 15 October 1930.
  • In 1937, due to the increasing number of students, an additional section consisting of four classrooms, a covered recreation area, and an assistant principal’s office was built in the rear garden; this section was put into service in the 1938–1939 academic year.
  • The open-air recreation area was converted into a gymnasium in 1951.
  • After the demolition of Aksaray Post Office, part of the school was used as a post office between 1954 and 1964; in September 1964, it was returned to high school use.
  • A 1,033 m² plot on the northern façade of the school was transferred to the Ministry of National Education; with an allocation of half a million lira, a 15-room additional building was constructed and opened for education on 24 September 1956.
  • In 1968, the construction of an additional building with 17 classrooms was completed; the sports hall and conference hall were put into service in 1969.
  • On 19 November 1986, due to renovation, the school was relocated to another building; it later returned to its building in Aksaray in the 1991–1992 academic year.
  • As seismic strengthening works were carried out in Block B during the 2023–2024 period, education was conducted in another school building for that academic year.
Prominent Features:
  • The building is also known by the names “Mahmudiye Secondary School,” “Mahmudiye School,” and “Valide School.”
  • The inscription “Valde School” is located above the main entrance door of the building.
  • The section constructed in 1930 is described in sources as a 17-room structure “built in reinforced concrete for the first time.”
  • The campus has a high school complex layout expanded with additional buildings; the additions of 1938–1939, 1956, and 1968 constitute the growth phases of the campus.