Category: Educational
Type: School
Location: Cankurtaran, Caferiye, Medrese St. Fatih
Date: 1875
Designer: Unknown
Period: Ottoman Empire
Photos: Kaan Çorbacı
The building currently housing the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University Gülhane Campus was originally constructed in 1875 as the Soğukçeşme Military Middle School during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz. Situated at the historic intersection of the Topkapı Palace walls and Gülhane Park, this monumental structure is a prominent example of late Ottoman architecture, featuring a symmetrical masonry design and a distinctive neoclassical entrance portico with high columns. Throughout its long history, the building has served various purposes, including housing the Mekteb-i Mülkiye and later the Council of Forensic Medicine, and it is renowned for being the educational site for influential figures such as Enver Pasha and Marshal Fevzi Çakmak. Following a careful restoration process, it now maintains its academic tradition as the home of the university’s Faculty of Law and the Institute for the History of Science in Islam, preserving its structural integrity while adapting to modern educational needs.
