For the first time in its 571-year history, the school has not enrolled a single student . Public Domain
The Phanar Greek Orthodox College, known in Greek as the Great School of the Nation (Megalē tou Genous Scholē), a prestigious and historically significant educational institution in Istanbul, faces an unprecedented crisis.
For the first time in its 571-year history, the school has not enrolled a single student in the first grade of high school. This stark reality was brought to light by the school’s director, Dimitris Zotos, in an interview with ERT.
Historical context and significance
Founded in 1454, just one year after the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, the Great School of the Nation is the oldest surviving Greek Orthodox school. Its establishment was a crucial act of cultural preservation, serving as a center for learning and a beacon of Hellenic identity for the city’s Greek Orthodox community.
Located in the historic Fener (Phanar) district of Istanbul, near the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the school has long been a symbol of both the continuous presence and the intellectual legacy of the Greek Orthodox community in the city.
Its alumni include a vast number of prominent figures in Greek and Turkish society, including patriarchs, politicians, scholars, and scientists.
The current crisis at the Great School of the Nation
Director Dimitris Zotos stated that the school’s dwindling enrollment is a direct result of the small size of the Greek community in Constantinople. While the school currently operates with only 30 students in total, the absence of any new high school students marks a grim milestone.
This decline is not an isolated event but rather a symptom of a broader demographic challenge facing the Rum (Greek) community in Turkey. Zotos expressed deep concern, calling the situation “sad” and emphasizing that measures must be taken to prevent the school’s disappearance. He underscored its role as a vital “symbol of education, of Romanism and of Hellenism.”
Educational program and future
Despite the challenges, the school continues to maintain a high standard of education. The curriculum, approved by the Turkish Ministry of Education, is taught primarily in Greek, with some required subjects taught in Turkish. The school also offers elective courses tailored to the needs of its students.
According to Zotos, the school’s students typically achieve high success rates in university entrance exams, with most choosing to pursue higher education at Turkish universities and remaining in Istanbul.
Zotos also highlighted ongoing efforts to secure new Greek textbooks, a process that requires approval from Turkish authorities but is crucial for maintaining the quality of education.
He expressed a desire for greater support, not only for the Great School of the Nation but for all Greek schools in Istanbul, noting that the demographic decline is a shared struggle.
Across the other Greek schools in Turkey, 16 new registrations were recorded: Seven at the Zografeion Lyceum, two in higher grades there, and seven at the Zappeion, the only Greek school offering all levels from kindergarten to high school. In total, 302 children now attend Greek schools in Turkey, including the island of Imbros.
Related: Constantinople Greeks: The Cosmopolitans of Byzantium’s Capital
