Ecumenical Patriarchate Advances Restoration of Historic Prinkipo Greek Orphanage

ISTANBUL — The long-awaited restoration and redevelopment of the historic Greek Orphanage of Prinkipo has entered its final phase following the signing of a major agreement between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and two development companies, marking a new chapter in efforts to preserve one of the most significant surviving monuments of the Greek Orthodox community in Istanbul.

The agreement was signed on June 15 by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Serdar Bilgili, Chairman of Bilgili Holding, one of Turkey's leading real estate investment firms. Also participating was Konstantza Sbokou-Konstantakopoulou, representing ENSOFI Holding, a Greek company specializing in sustainable tourism development and real estate investment.

The project brings together the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Bilgili Holding, and ENSOFI Holding in an effort to safeguard and highlight the history of the abandoned complex, which for decades remained exposed to deterioration and the effects of time after being forcefully closed by the Turkish government in 1964.

The signing ceremony took place at the Marasleio School building in the Phanar and was attended by Abp. Makarios of Australia, chairman of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s special committee that studied and finalized the agreement.

Also present was Panteleimon Vingas, Archon Grand Chartophylax of the Great Church of Christ, who has overseen the Patriarchate’s efforts regarding the orphanage project in recent years. Hierarchs and representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, including Metropolitan Theoleptos of Iconium, Metropolitan Gregory of Ankara, and other officials, also attended the ceremony.

Built in 1898 by French-Ottoman architect Alexander Vallaury at the initiative of the French company Maurice de Beaux Arts, the Greek Orphanage of Prinkipo was originally designed as a luxury hotel and casino.

The five-story wooden structure contained 206 rooms, large halls, lecture spaces, dining rooms, and other facilities. Today, it is considered the largest wooden building in Europe.

The original vision for the property was never realized after Sultan Abdul Hamid II prohibited the operation of the hotel, officially citing concerns over “public morality.” Historians have also suggested that political concerns may have influenced the decision, amid fears that the building could become a meeting place for opponents of the Ottoman government.

In 1903, the property and its surrounding 23-acre estate were acquired by benefactor Eleni Zarifi, who later donated the entire complex to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

That same year, the Ecumenical Patriarchate transferred the property to the Boys’ Orphanage Foundation, transforming the building into a home and educational institution for children in need.

For more than six decades, the Prinkipo Orphanage provided shelter, education, and care for 5,744 children before its closure in 1964.

Many of those who lived there were orphans or children displaced by persecution and instability from regions including Eastern Thrace, Pontus, Cappadocia, the Sea of Marmara, and western Asia Minor.

The orphanage offered not only academic education but also training in music, theater, painting, and athletics. It eventually expanded its mission to include girls as well. The institution also maintained its own medical facilities and placed strong emphasis on spiritual formation, with residents regularly attending services at the nearby Monastery of Christ.

The orphanage’s mission came to an end in 1964 during a period of heightened tensions between Greece and Turkey following the Cyprus crisis and the anti-Greek violence in Constantinople in 1955.

In 1997, Turkey's General Directorate of Foundations dissolved the elected board of the foundation overseeing the orphanage and later confiscated the property.

A major legal victory came in 2010 when the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, recognizing the Patriarchate’s ownership of the property following a legal dispute in Türkiye.

The ruling opened the way for renewed efforts to protect and restore the historic site. The Prinkipo Orphanage remains the only property for which the Ecumenical Patriarchate holds title deeds directly in its own name.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Turkey has also made moves toward reopening Halki Seminary after five decades of forced closure.