A historic building commissioned by Ottoman naval commander Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha in Istanbul’s Kasımpaşa district has served as a school for 120 years, preserving its maritime heritage while educating generations of students.
The building, which once served as the headquarters of the Ottoman navy’s grand admiral, has undergone several transformations over the centuries, functioning as a Sufi lodge and an army kitchen before becoming Cezayirli Gazi Hasanpaşa Primary School in 1906.
Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, who lived from 1710 to 1790, was among the prominent figures in Ottoman naval history. Born in Gallipoli, he joined the maritime world at a young age and rose through the ranks of the Ottoman navy following his success in various battles, eventually becoming grand admiral, known as Kaptan-ı Derya.
During his tenure, he commissioned the stone building in Kasımpaşa using his own resources. The area was then one of the main centers of Ottoman naval activity, with a stream running in front of the building and facilities serving the navy located nearby.
The surrounding complex included a boathouse that reportedly extended as far as present-day Salhane Street. Hasan Pasha’s residence was later used as a naval military hospital.
Following Hasan Pasha’s death, the building continued to serve different purposes as the district evolved. It was used as a Sufi lodge for an extended period and later served as an army kitchen before being converted into a school in 1906.
After the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye, the institution came under the Ministry of National Education (MEB) and operated as a 5-year primary school. It was converted into a primary education school when compulsory education was extended to eight years in the 1997-1998 academic year, before returning to a 4-year primary school structure in the 2013-2014 academic year.
Today, the school has 16 classrooms and approximately 700 students, who attend classes under a double-shift education system.
School Principal Ramazan Oğuz Ercan told Anadolu Agency that the institution remains deeply valued by the local community.
“It is a school that is very well protected and deeply loved, especially by the longtime residents of Kasımpaşa. We are also trying to carry it forward, adding something to it while preserving it just as we inherited it,” he said.
Having worked at the school for 2 years, Ercan said being part of a historic institution had given him a strong sense of responsibility.
“Knowing that people were here nearly 250 years before you, experiencing that spirit and that historical continuity, is an incredible feeling. It is indescribable,” he said.
Ercan added that the building’s history also influences the school’s educational atmosphere, encouraging both teachers and students to treat the historic structure with greater respect and care.
“When you convey this history to students and teachers, they also experience that feeling. You feel the need to show greater respect. You have to be more careful. You cannot afford to be complacent because, ultimately, you have inherited a piece of history,” he said.
The stone walls that once witnessed the command operations of the Ottoman navy have continued to echo with the voices of students and teachers since 1906, linking the district’s maritime past with its educational present.