Istanbul: For the first time in 500 years, no new students enrolled at the iconic Greek Orthodox school
For the 2025/26 school year, only one new student had enrolled, but was transferred to another Greek school. The number of students at the Greek High School in the Fener neighbourhood has dropped from 730 to 30 in just under 150 years. For the sake of the school and Christian education in Turkey “I’m calling on everyone to extend a helping hand,” said Principal Dimitri Zotos.
Istanbul (AsiaNews) – Istanbul’s historic Greek college in Istanbul, a symbol of the community's centuries-old presence in Turkey's economic and commercial capital, has recorded no new enrolments for the 2025/26 school year, with only a few dozen students attending.
Founded 571 years ago, the Greek high school (Fener Rum Lisesi in Turkish) in the Fener (Φανάρι, Phanar in Greek) neighbourhood, recently announced that it will not be accepting new students this academic year, putting its very future at risk.
Officially known today as the Private Phanar Greek Middle and High School, the institution is located in Istanbul's Fener neighbourhood, overlooking the Golden Horn.
Among Greeks and in the Greek Orthodox community, it is known as the "Great School of the Nation" (Μεγάλη του Γένους Σχολή, Megáli toú Genous Scholí, in Greek) and was founded in 1454 as part of an agreement between Patriarch Gennadius Scholarius and Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II.
During the Ottoman period, it trained numerous high-ranking officials, chief interpreters, patriarchs, and clergy. Today, reflecting its Eastern Roman heritage, the school offers a comprehensive education in both Turkish and Greek.
The building on Sancaklar Yokuşu Street stands on land that once belonged to Dimitrie Cantemir (Dmitri Kantemir), a Moldavian prince and school alumnus.
Designed by architect Konstantinos Dimadis, the current building is considered one of Istanbul's most important landmarks, thanks in part to its architectural grandeur and proximity to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and is occasionally referred to as “the fifth-largest castle in Europe”.
Among the most important and historic institutions linked to the patriarchate, it is suffering the consequences of a ongoing decline of the Christian population in the Middle East, from Turkey and Syria to Iraq and the Holy Land.
This decline also affects Istanbul's Greek community, impacting not only the school in the Fener (which is among the hardest hit), but all Greek minority schools.
Speaking to the newspaper Agos, school principal Dimitri Zotos stated that around 300 students are currently enrolled in Greek minority schools throughout Turkey, but only 30 attend the Fener college.
“To be honest, one student did come during the enrolment period but we persuaded the family to choose another Greek school, because it's simply not viable to run a class with just one student," he explained. “It's neither psychologically, pedagogically, nor educationally healthy. The family understood and agreed. If more students come in future years, our doors will always be open.”
“It’s obvious that we’re facing serious demographic challenges. It would be a mistake to say otherwise," Zotos added. “It is both sad and thought-provoking that the number of students in this building has dropped from 730 to 30 in 140 years. These are challenges beyond our control, and solutions must be found.”
“We want these institutions to survive,” the principal stressed. “They are valuable not only for our community, but also for the broader society we live in. That’s why I’m calling on everyone to extend a helping hand.”
Mr Zotos raised the issue with the country's highest authority during a meeting in November 2023 between minority schools representatives and Turkish Education Minister Yusuf Tekin, but nothing came of it.
He noted, however, that the abolition of the guest student policy, which had previously contributed to increasing enrolment in Greek schools, had led to a decline in student numbers in recent years.
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24/10/2019 17:56
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