Changes After Construction
This historic building was marked as the “Mavrogordato Mansion” on the 1858 Beyoğlu map prepared by G. d’Ostoya, an engineer from the VI. District Municipality Cadastre Office.
In 1893, it was purchased by Selim Melhame Pasha and his family for use as a residence.
From 1908 onward, the building was used first for commercial purposes and later as the Danish Embassy.
According to land registry records, the property was registered under Selim Melhame’s wife, Aimé Crespin, before being acquired by the Ministry of Education in 1932 and continuously used for educational purposes since then.
A comprehensive restoration in 1993 brought the building to its present condition.
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Over time, the school has been known as the 26th Primary School, Taksim Primary School, and Taksim Commercial Vocational High School. Today, it operates as Katip Mustafa Çelebi Tourism Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.
The campus includes a five-story annex in addition to the main building.
The original owners of the historic building, the Mavrogordato Family, were a prominent Greek Orthodox (Fenerli) family who played significant roles in both Ottoman and global history.
The building’s second owner, Selim Melhame Pasha, was an Ottoman statesman who served as Minister of Agriculture, Mining, and Forestry during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II.
