Phanar Greek Orthodox College
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Phanar Greek Orthodox College (Turkish: Fener Rum Erkek Lisesi) is the oldest surviving and most prestigious Greek Orthodox school in Istanbul, Turkey.
Established in 1454 by Matheos Kamariotis, it soon became the school of the prominent Greek (Phanariotes) and Bulgarian families in the Ottoman Empire, and many Ottoman ministers as well as Wallachian and Moldavian princes appointed by the Ottoman state, such as Dimitrie Cantemir, graduated from it.
The current school building is located near the Church of St. George in Fener (Phanar), Istanbul, which is the seat of the Patriarchate. It is known among the locals with nicknames such as The Red Castle and The Red School.
Designed by the Ottoman Greek architect Dimadis, the building was constructed between 1881 and 1883 with an eclectic mix of different styles and at a cost of 17,210 Ottoman gold pounds, a huge sum for that period. Despite its function as a school, the building is often referred to as "the 5th largest castle in Europe" because of its castle-like shape. The large dome at the top of the building is used as an observatory for astronomy classes and has a large antique telescope inside.
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