Beyoğlu Anatolian High School (Turkish: Beyoğlu Anadolu Lisesi), initially founded as the English High School for Girls (EHSG) in 1849, stands as one of Turkey’s oldest educational institutions. The school is noted for its rigorous academic standards and selective admissions process.
History From 1842 to 1858, during Stratford Canning, 1st Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe's tenure as the British ambassador in Istanbul, Lady Redcliffe founded a middle school for girls associated with the embassy personnel in 1849. This initiative received favorable attention from Sultan Abdülmecid. The school, however, had to close for six years during the Crimean War, and the site and building were donated to the British Embassy by Lady Redcliffe. After the war, a board composed of members from the British consulate in Istanbul managed the school, which temporarily closed again during the Russo-Turkish War but reopened in 1881. This time, the school also began admitting Ottoman subjects residing in the Beyoğlu.
The building, being old and insufficient, prompted the school administration to start a fundraising campaign among wealthy parents, leading to the construction of the current building in 1901, a rare example of Pera architecture still in use today. The school continued its education until the outbreak of World War I in 1914 and was shut down three times until 1920.
On 24 October 1971, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne visited the school.
With the Republic's enactment of the "Education Unity" Law in 1943, the curriculum was reorganized according to the new legal standards. Originally named "English High School," the school was nationalized on 1 November 1979, renamed İngiliz Kız Ortaokulu (), and when the high school section was opened in 1980, it was renamed Beyoğlu Anatolian High School.
Extracurricular activities
Values Club Literature, Librarianship, Publishing, and Poetry Club eTwinning Club Gastronomy Club Travel, Promotion, Environmental Protection Club Entrepreneurship Club Visual Arts Club Animal Love and Protection Club English Debate and Theater Club Istanbul Beyoğlu Club Red Crescent, Green Crescent, Social Assistance Club Mathematics, Brain Games, and Chess Club Music Club Robotics Coding, Science Olympiads, Erasmus Project Club Sports, Folk Dances and Latin Dance Club Publishing and Journalism Club Model United Nations Club Cinema Club Civil Defense, Occupational Health and Safety Club History Club TEDx Club UNESCO Club
Notable alumnae Vuslat Doğan Sabancı – Turkish businesswoman Ümit Boyner – Turkish businesswoman Gülse Birsel – Turkish screenwriter and actress Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu – Turkish interior designer Tomris Uyar – Turkish writer and translator
See also British International School Istanbul Nişantaşı Anatolian High School Tarabya British Schools
References
External links
Beyoğlu Anatolian High School (Official Website) English High School (Alumni Website)