Changes After Construction
The structure was built in 1896 for educational purposes under the name “St. Jean Chrysostome Primary School.”
It was closed and converted into a hospital in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War.
The building, which was later demolished, was reconstructed in 1921 and began operating as an institution providing primary-level education under the name “Sainte-Jeanne d’Arc.”
Saint Michel French High School, founded on another campus in 1886, moved to the present campus in 1936.
The building took its present form through various restoration works carried out up to the present day.
Featured Highlights
Saint Michel French High School was founded by the Catholic male congregation “Frères” (Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes).
The origins of the Frères, who came to Ottoman lands in the 19th century, date back to the La Salle Institute, founded in the city of Reims, France, in 1651.
Saint Michel, the first French high school in Türkiye to provide co-education, is one of the three Lasallian high schools in Türkiye, together with Saint Joseph Istanbul and Izmir.
The historical buildings are arranged on a U-shaped plan and open onto a central courtyard. In the middle of the roof of the 5-storey main building, there is a clock symbolizing the institution’s historical depth.
