Home    News    Organization    Newsletter    Photo Album    History    Atatürk    at Galatasaray    Galatasaray    Değerleri	THE HISTORY OF GALATASARAY First established in 1481 as an educational institution for the purpose of preparing young men for public service, Galatasaray is probably one of the oldest schools of its kind in the world. After giving valuable service to the state for over 350 years, it was replaced by a modern school functioning along the French classical education system, called “Lycee Imperial de Galata-Serai” which opened in 1868 in the same premises. After the Republic the name was changed in 1923 to “Lycee de Galatasaray” Galatasaray Lyceum is, since 1992, part of an integral education system consisting of the Galatasaray Primary School (8 years), the Lyceum (3 years), Galatasaray University (4 years + postgraduate studies). It is co-educational since 1965. Origins, History of Galatasaray Lyceum (1481-1830) The origins of the school go back to the second part of the 15th Century, during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Bayezit II (1481-1512), when the area of the present school was a thickly wooded hill filled with game animals. To the southwest, at the mouth of the Golden Horn stood the town of Galata, a Latin trading colony established by Genoese merchants in Byzantine times. The story goes that one-day, Sultan Bayezit II while hunting in the region came across a small cabin where an old man was pruning his roses in the garden. The Sultan entered his cabin for a short rest. In the course of the conversation he learned that the old man who was called Gülbaba (Father Rose) was actually an elder of the warrior Bektashi sect and that as a young man had fought in the siege and conquest of Constantinople in 1453. On leaving the Sultan asked the old man, as was the custom, whether he had any wish that the Sultan could fulfill. Thereupon Gülbaba begged the Sultan to set-up a home of learning on that hill for the education of promising young men, preparing them for services in the Palace and in State Administration. Sultan Bayezit II wasted no time in responding to the old man's wish. So the school was built and opened in the fall of 1481 under the name "Galata Sarayi Enderun-u Hümayunu" (Galata Palace Imperial School), the fourth of such schools then functioning in the Empire. Gülbaba joined the faculty of the new school and taught there sometime. When he died he was laid to rest nearby, in the slope of the hill, where today his restored tomb is in a small courtyard, in a side street down from the present school building. It is now a site of pilgrimage. Moreover a small mosque called Agacamii, situated on the main street, up towards Taksim Square at 300 meters from the school gates, was built in 1597 by Hüseyin Aga (Aga is today's school headmaster), whose tomb can be seen in the mosque's courtyard. Interim Period (1830-1868) Galata Sarayı Enderun-u Hümayunu (Galata Palace Imperial School) continued, with various fortunes, as an educational institution for some 350 years, when in 1830's, with the movement of westernization, Ottoman Empire's old institutions were gradually abolished. Soon thereafter, the first modern Medical School was opened by Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839) in the same premises. The faculty was made up of French professors and the courses taught in French. The Medical School functioned at Galata Palace Buildings for some thirty years. Modern Period (1868-1923) In 1868 Sultan Abdulaziz I (1861-1876) who paid a state visit to Napoleon III was much impressed by the French education system. It was decided then that the French will help in setting up in Istanbul a school along the classical French Lycee system, administered by Frenchmen and most of the courses taught in French. The purpose was to educate promising young men from all over the Empire in a modern way and teach them French, then the prevailing diplomatic and commonly spoken foreign language in Europe. The school was opened in 1868 under the name "Lycee Imperial de Galata Serai" (in Turkish: Galatasaray Mektebi Sultanisi). Up to the end of the First World War in 1918 the school continued to function in this capacity, with a student body including boys of different religious and ethnic groups constituting the population of the Ottoman Empire, such as Turks, Arabs, Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Levantines, Bulgarians, Albanians, etc... Many of the graduates of this period of some 55 years, coming from various ethnic communities, became prominent statesmen, educators, bureaucrats, writers etc... in Turkey as well as in their home countries. The influence of the Galatasaray School on the rise of modern Turkey has been enormous. As the need for administrators, diplomats, and others with a western education and capacity to handle Western Administrative apparatus became more and more pressing, the graduates of Galatasaray came to play a preponderant role in the politics of the Ottoman Empire and, after it, of Turkish Republic. The imperial Ottoman Lycee had no playing fields, but not a few of the victories of modern Turkey were won in its classrooms. Lycée de Galatasaray was the « first window opened from East to the West ». Since this period, the district where this institution stands has been known as and called Galatasaray. Turkish Republic period (1923 to present) With the abolition of the Ottoman Sultanate and the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the name of the school was changed to "Galatasaray Lisesi" (Lycee de Galatasaray- Galatasaray Lyceum). The education continued in French language, from Primary school (5 grades) to the end of Lyceum (7 grades) for courses comprising French Language and Literature, Philosophy, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English and German being taught selectively in the last four grades. For a long time, France remained privileged model of western culture for the teaching of Galatasaray. After this Period, like Turkey, Galatasaray also found its identity without need for single reference, as is turned towards the universal spirit of the Western world. The school became co-educational in 1965. Now girls constitute some 40% of the student body. Since the last five years, English language is being taught from 6 th grade on, so that by the time they reach the 9 th - 10 th grades the students become quite fluent. Students set-up in 1997 an English Club, which publishes a magazine, called "Third Dimension", entirely in English. The title refers to the fact of English is now the third language taught at Galatasaray, along with Turkish and French. Galatasaray's English Club members are participating also to the HNMUN conference held by Harvard University students since 1954. They first came to the conference in 1997 with seven delegates, being the only high school represented at HNMUN. Afterwards, although the conference address graduate or undergraduate participants, Galatasaray students were accepted owing to their exceptional success and determination. Four years ago, classical Latin courses were introduced to the 9 th and 10 th grades and in 1999, courses in the Italian language were added to the curriculum. Galatasaray Lyceum graduates educated in the European classical system have no difficulty in entering the best Universities in Turkey and abroad. After obtaining University degrees, many join the Civil and Diplomatic Services as befitting their Enderun and later, Imperial school traditions. During 75 years of the Republican Period, there were two Prime ministers, eight Foreign Ministers, scores of other Cabinet Ministers and Under-secretaries in the State Administration. Apart from these, many academicians, judges, educators, writers, doctors, architects, engineers, journalists, artists, stage artists, film directors, poets, painters etc...constitute illustrious alumni of this exceptional institution. A special place shall be reserved to Galatasaray alumni who join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Diplomatic Service) after graduating from Universities. They constitute an important body in the Diplomatic Corps and the number of those that have reached the Ambassadorial rank exceeds one hundred. Below are the names of Galatasaray alumni who represented the Turkish republic as Ambassador in the United States, Canada and the United Nations. United States: H.E. Ahmet Muhtar (GS. 1883) 1927-1934 H.E. Feridun C. Erkin (GS. 1920) 1948-1955 H.E. Suat Hayri Ürgüplü (GS. 1924) 1957-1960 H.E. Bülent Uşakligil (GS. 1923) 1960-1962 H.E. Melih Esenbel (GS. 1933) 1967-1979 H.E. Şükrü Elekdağ (GS. 1943) 1979-1989 H.E. Nüzhet Kandemir (GS. 1953) 1989-1998 Canada: H.E. Taha Çarim (GS. 1936) 1961-1965 H.E. Mehmet Baydur (GS. 1937) 1965-1968 H.E. Tahir Şentürk (GS. 1946) 1975-1980 H.E. Coşkun Kırca (GS. 1945) 1985-1986 H.E. Ömer Ersun (GS. 1956) 1995-1998 United Nations: H.E. İlter Türkmen (GS. 1945) 1975-1980 and 1985-1988 H.E. Coşkun Kırca (GS. 1945) 1980-1985 Today, pupils graduated from Galatasaray continue to occupy high ranking political , industrial and business positions within and outside of Turkey. Now, the Galatasaray education program is made from the first year of the primary school up to the highest academic level degrees of the university. Today Galatasaray graduates are still working successfully all around the globe and are represented by sixteen Alumni Associations, eight in Turkey, eight in Europe, Canada and United States