Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Primary School

Audio Narration:

Construction Year:

1875

Location:

Üsküdar, İstanbul

Ordered By:

Sultan Abdülaziz

Architect:

Unknown

Changes After Construction:
  • The building was constructed as a soup kitchen belonging to the Atik Valide Sultan Complex; it was used as a cavalry barracks during the Nizam-ı Cedid and Sekban-ı Cedid periods and underwent numerous alterations.
  • In 1875, it entered service as Üsküdar Toptaşı Military Secondary School; an inscription dated 1875 was placed above the main gate.
  • After the Second Constitutional period, the school was secularized and took the name “Sokullu Model School.”
  • In 1926, it took the name “Üsküdar Toptaşı 15th Primary School”; in 1948, the school’s name was changed to “Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Primary School.”
  • The need for repair in the historic building became evident; a new school building was constructed, and the school began education in the new building on 23 November 1959.
  • In 1997, the institution’s name became “Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Primary Education School”; since 2013, it has been serving under the name “Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Primary School.”
Prominent Features:
  • The complex was also used under the names Üsküdar Toptaşı Military Secondary School, Sokullu Model School, Üsküdar Toptaşı 15th Primary School, and Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Primary Education School.
  • On the main gate, there is an inscription reading “Mekteb-i Rüşdiye-i Askeriyye” and an inscription arrangement dated 1875; within the composition bearing the Ottoman state coat of arms, the tughra of Abdülaziz was later erased.
  • On both sides of the entrance gate, there are columns with Corinthian capitals, and on the entrance facade there is an arrangement of shop units; it has been recorded that these shops were later integrated into the main building.