In the 1480s, Beyazid II started the construction of a school on Galata hill at the request of a local named Gülbaba, whom he met in a forested area around Galata.
Due to the inability of the Enderûn schools of the Edirne Palace, the Old Palace, and the New Palace (Topkapı) to produce scholars at the same pace as the bureaucracy growing with the conquest of Istanbul, the need for an imperial school had already increased. Consequently, a building with three dormitories, each with its own bathhouse, kitchen, and officer’s quarters, was constructed around a mosque surrounded by walls.
This school became comparable to other Enderûn schools during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. Teaching Turkish, Islam, and palace etiquette to children, most of whom were Christian converts, this school became the most prestigious educational institution after the Topkapı Enderûnu.
Similar to the Enderûn schools, this institution also offered instruction in arts and sports. In the upper grades, students received education in Persian and Arabic. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, there was also a significant number of Turkish students enrolled. As in the Enderûn, during periods called “çıkma,” these students were either transferred to Topkapı Palace due to their success or appointed to various bureaucratic positions, primarily as timarlı sipahis. In its early years, the institution educated around 200 students, but its capacity eventually expanded to 800 students. At various times, Galatasaray was converted into a madrasa. During the reign of Ahmed III, it was transformed back into a school with substantial renovations, additions, and modifications to the Galata Palace. The school largely maintained its structure until the 19th century when it underwent some changes by Mahmud II after the Great Tophane Fire.
During the Tanzimat period, Galata Palace was first disbanded, and shortly thereafter, the Imperial Medical School (Mekteb-i Tıbbiyye-i Şâhâne) was established there. Sultan Abdülmecid relocated the Medical School to the Golden Horn and reopened Galata Palace, but this was not long-lasting. Finally, in 1868, Galatasaray Mekteb-i Sultânîsi was opened at the site with a completely different identity and curriculum.
Despite years passing since the promulgation of the Reform Edict (Islahat Fermanı), Western countries, particularly France, argued that the ethnic groups within the Ottoman Empire had not yet integrated and that the Ottoman government had made no efforts in this regard. France considered the Reform Edict sufficient and insisted on the idea of uniting various groups. They argued that only the Turkish element could achieve this integration, as the only bond that could hold together the fifteen to twenty elements constituting Ottoman society was the Turks. They claimed that without the Turkish element, the Ottoman State would disintegrate. Since the French enjoyed numerous privileges, or capitulations, on Ottoman territory to keep their state-sanctioned enterprises in this market, they argued for the maintenance of Ottoman rule. They asserted that the task at hand was to bring Muslims closer to the non-Muslim subjects and argued that the Sublime Porte (Bâbıâli) needed to be pressured to implement the Reform Edict. On February 22, 1867, France issued a memorandum to the Sublime Porte, requesting adherence to the spirit of the Reform Edict. The memorandum emphasized the need for reforms in education, recommending the establishment of high schools.
In the new school, some classes would be taught in Turkish and others in French. In 1868, the ten-article regulation of Mekteb-i Sultânî (Imperial School) was published in Turkish, French, Greek, and Armenian.
Subjects to be taught included Turkish, French language and literature, ethics and etiquette, Latin, Greek, Ottoman history, general history, Ottoman geography, general geography, mathematics, cosmography, mechanics, physics, chemistry, natural sciences, law, civil administration, rhetoric and literature, calligraphy and painting, accounting, and bookkeeping. Greek and Armenian would not be included in the general curriculum, but these languages could be taught if families requested it.
Each student was required to practice the rites and worship of their own religion and sect; thus, Muslim students would attend the mosque and have a teacher in the school to instruct them in their religious duties. Similarly, non-Muslim students would be sent to their respective places of worship, and the necessary religious education would be provided upon the request of community leaders and families. The school would admit 600 students, half Muslim and half non-Muslim. Apart from a certain fee based on whether the students were boarders or day students, the school was expected to cover the expenses. The Ottoman government would cover part or all of the tuition fees for students who could not afford it, but this benefit was only available to students who were subjects of the Ottoman Empire.
Student registration for Mekteb-i Sultânî began in May 1868. At the time the school commenced instruction, out of a total of 409 students, 172 were Muslim and 237 were non-Muslim. Among the non-Muslim students, there were fifty-eight Gregorian Armenians, thirty-one Catholic Armenians, twenty-six Catholic Latins, forty-one Greeks, forty-seven Jews, and thirty-four Bulgarians.
Since it began its education in the Galata Palace located in the Beyoğlu district, the school was named Galatasaray Mekteb-i Sultânîsi (Le lycée impérial de Galata Serai). The opening of the school elicited various reactions. Many thought that the French control over the institution was a clear violation of Ottoman sovereignty.
After returning to France, E. de Salve published an article detailing the purpose of the school’s establishment and the difficulties it faced in its early years, particularly the challenges arising from religious differences among students. Additionally, the varying official and religious holidays created significant administrative difficulties. Differences in dietary practices between Muslims, Jews, and Christians also caused administrative challenges. Despite these difficulties, de Salve noted that the school’s neutral policy and the sense of justice among the students helped resolve conflicts and that this first attempt at reconciling different ethnic groups was successful.
Changes in the French school administration, including the establishment of new classes without consulting Turkish teachers and conflicts at the administrative level, led to frequent changes in the school’s educational program and structure. Despite these issues, the school succeeded in producing students with a strong sense of belonging and proficiency in French. The school had several changes in principals during this period, including the famous poet Tevfik Fikret, these frequent changes and political conflicts both inside and outside the school meant that the principals could only implement minor, temporary reforms.
After the establishment of the Republic, the term “sultânî” was replaced with “lise,” and the school’s name became Galatasaray Lisesi. With the adoption of the Unification of Education Law (Tevhîd-i Tedrîsat Kanunu) on March 3, 1924, the school’s curriculum was revised, and the duration of education was extended from five to six years. The instruction of Turkish and French was integrated, and the curriculum of other high schools was implemented here as well. It was decided that cultural subjects like history and geography would be taught in Turkish (1929). By 1930, the student population had increased to 1,600. The primary school section, which began in 1963 in one of the Fer’iye Palaces in Ortaköy, was closed in 1969, and the space was allocated to day students in middle school. This area later became Galatasaray University.
Galatasaray Mekteb-i Sultânîsi had two major objectives. The first was to train qualified civil servants for the state and to create an elite group needed during the implementation of the Tanzimat reforms. This goal was achieved as many graduates from this school held important positions in the state, particularly in foreign affairs and other governmental roles. The school, attended mainly by the wealthy Muslim children of Istanbul, also played a pioneering role in spreading French culture due to its French-medium instruction. Activities such as football, theater, and folklore were introduced to Turkey through this school. Thus, Galatasaray Mekteb-i Sultânîsi played a significant role in the formation of modern Turkey. Numerous writers, poets, and politicians who graduated from this school gained valuable insights into both French society and Turkish history and civilization.
The second objective of the school was to integrate the various elements of Ottoman society. According to French statesmen and educators, the educational program implemented at the school was intended to reduce animosity between religions and ethnicities, and to unite individuals of different religions and ethnic backgrounds around Ottoman nationalism. However, this goal was not achieved.