Changes After Construction
The historical roots of the building go back to the educational complex known as the “Galata Sarayı Corps and Madrasa” from 1481 onward.
The Galata Sarayı buildings, renewed through the comprehensive renovation that began in 1837, functioned as the first medical school providing education in French under the name “Galatasaray Medical School.”
The building, which was heavily damaged in the 1848 Tophane Fire, was used as a barracks between 1853 and 1856 after repairs.
In 1862, the Military Medical School was moved to the present building, commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz and built by Architect Sarkis Balyan.
The historic building began to be used in 1868 under the name “Mekteb-i Sultani” with a ceremony attended by Sultan Abdülaziz.
From 1923 onward, it has continued to function under its present name, Galatasaray High School.
Featured Highlights
According to the foundation story related by Evliya Çelebi, while Bayezid II was hunting on the heights of Galata, he saw a small hut within a very large and well-kept garden. After meeting Gül Baba, the owner of the hut, the Sultan had a school and a darüşşifa (hospital) built in the garden as a gift because of the care shown to the garden.
The Galata Sarayı tradition has been defined as a long-lasting school system within the Ottoman palace education system that trained candidates for the Enderun and for certain military/palace posts.
In the 19th century, the institution, whose importance and function increased day by day, became a symbol of the Westernization period and Tanzimat practices in the Ottoman Empire.
In the 1930s, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited Galatasaray High School four times, showing how much importance he attached to this school.
In 1968, on the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Mekteb-i Sultani, the then President of France, Charles de Gaulle, visited the high school.
At the center of the present U-shaped building, the Meyer-branded circular-dial clock on the roof has an electronic mechanism and is still working.
With its main gate and campus on İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, the building is among the best-known historic educational buildings of the city.
