Information about the Greek educational institutions of Smyrna - George Vassiadis, 2007
The Evangelike Schole tes Smyrnis (Evangelical School of Smyrna)
This school was established in 1733, largely through the generosity of the merchants Pantelis Sevastopoulos and Georgios Omeros. In accordance with Sevastopoulos’ wishes it was placed under the protection of the English Consulate in Smyrna in 1747 and remained so until 1922. Its original buildings were destroyed by fire in 1778 and rebuilt the following year. In 1882 it moved into new buildings on the eastern side of the courtyard of the Cathedral of Agia Photini. The rising number of students at the beginning of the 20th century made it necessary for the school to move to a new home. Funds were raised and a large lot was purchased in the Agia Aikaterine district of Smyrna. Construction of the new building began in 1909, and was interrupted by the Balkan Wars and World War I. Work was resumed on the building during the Greek administration of Smyrna between 1919 and 1922. The finishing touches were completed during the summer of 1922, but the Asia Minor Catastrophe and ensuing exachange of population meant that the school was never occupied. Some sources state that immediately after entering Smyrna, the Turkish forces pulled down the buildings surrounding the school in order to prevent the fire which destroyed the Greek and Armenian quarters of the city from reaching it. It is now known as the Namık Kemal Lisesi. archive view - modern views - wikipedia entry
The Kentrikon Parthenagogeion (Central School for Girls)
This school was set up by the Greek community of Smyrna in 1830 and for many years was housed near the Cathedral of Agia Photini. It later moved to a building on Gül Sokak. From 1900 it occupied a building on Meymaroğlu Sokak, which was replaced with an impressive new structure designed by the Athenian architect P. Karathanasopoulos between 1909 and 1912. It still surivives and is now known as the Atatürk Lisesi. - archive view -
The interior view of this building that now serves as the modern day Ataturk Lise.
The Omereion Parthenagogeion (Omereion School for Girls)
The Omereion was established by the Philekpaideutike Etaireia tes Smyrnes (Phil-educational Society of Smyrna and began functioning in September 1881 in series of renovated houses on rue Magnifico in the Chourmadies district. Following a fire in November 1886 the school was rebuilt on same site, to plans by the Smyrniot architect Xenophon Latres. Source references to the school’s location make it clear that it was within the zone razed by the fire of 1922.
Top: Nea Evangelike School (Namık Kemal), bottom left: Omereion Parthenagogeion, bottom left: Kentrikon Parthenagogeion (Atatürk Lisesi)
from Smirni Prestige Volume InterAmerican, 1982, Athens.
The Ioniko Panepistemio (Ionian University)
This institution of higher learning was set up by the Greek administration between 1919 and 1922. The following quote on page 148 of Karatheodori-Rodopoulou and Vlachostergiou-Vasvateki seems to be largely accurate: “The University was set up in a large building located on Bahri Baba hill [on the edge of the Karataş district]. It was half-finished when Smyrna was liberated [passed into Greek control]. The site of the large building originally belonged to the Jewish community, which used it as a cemetery. During the war [WWI] the governor Rahmi Bey decided to build a large building on the site which would be used as a Moslem school. For this purpose he used as convenient building material the marble gravestones from the Jewish cemetery, and prisoners of war were used to bring ancient marbles from the archaeological site at Ephesus which he used to complete the building. The Greek administration found the building complete on the outside. It immediately occupied itself with the completion and fitting out of the interior [...] the half-finished building was completed and everything was ready for the University of Smyrna to begin functioning in October 1922. In the grounds houses were built for the rector and professors [of the university].” The sources relate that the architect Aristoteles Zachos oversaw the conversion of the original school building. The building survives and was known as the Izmir Kız Lisesi until 2003, when it was renamed 80 Yıl Anadolu Lisesi [80th year Anatolian Lycee] according to the site contributor Onur Inal.
The former Ionia University now serving as the 80 Yıl Anadolu Lisesi at Karataş - alternative view.
Sources for the Greek school buildings of Smyrna include:
Maria Georgiadou, Constantin Carathéodory, Mathematics and Politics in Turbulent Times (Berlin and Heidelberg, 2004)
Despina Karatheodori-Rodopoulou and Despina Vlachostergiou-Vasvateki, Konstantinos Karatheodori, o sophos Ellen tou Monachou [Constantine Caratheodory, the learned Greek of Munich] (Athens, 2001)
Chrestos Solomonides, Tes Smyrnes (Athens, 1957)
Chrestos S. Solomonidis, E Paideia ste Smyrne [Education in Smyrna] (Athens, 1961)
Nikolaos Kartsonakis-Nakis, Thymamai te Smyrne [I remember Smyrna] (Athens, 1972)
Vasiles Kalonas, Ellenes architektones sten othomanike autokratoria (19os-20os aionas) [Greek architects in the Ottoman Empire (19th-20th century] (Athens, 2005)
Note: Mr Vassiadis has recently (2008) published a book on the Syllogos Movement of Constantinople and Ottoman Greek Education 1861-1923, segment viewable here: