Prinkipo Orphanage, Büyükada
Büyükada Rum Erkek ve Kız Yetimhanesi Vakfı
A Rum community foundation (vakıf) in Büyükada.
- Official name
- Büyükada Rum Erkek ve Kız Yetimhanesi Vakfı
- District
- Büyükada
- Type
- Other
- Status
- Inactive
- Location
- Map (OpenStreetMap)
The five-storey timber building on the hill of Büyükada (Prinkipo) was completed in 1898 as a hotel, but never operated as one. In the early 20th century it was bought by a benefactress, donated to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and converted into an orphanage. Until 1964 it housed and educated orphaned children of the Greek Orthodox community. It is considered the largest wooden building in Europe.
In 1980 the building was damaged by fire, and in 2018 Europa Nostra included it among the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe. In June 2026 the Ecumenical Patriarchate signed an agreement to restore it in keeping with its original architectural character and return it to use.
The information on this page is documented by the sources listed at the end.
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Image credit: Controdolled, Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sources
- Rum Vakıfları Derneği — Vakıflarımız
- Σύνδεσμος Υποστήριξης Ρωμαίικων Κοινοτικών Ιδρυμάτων — Τα βακούφια μας
- ΟΡΦΑΝΟΤΡΟΦΕΙΟ ΠΡΙΓΚΗΠΟΥ — rumvader.org
- Büyükada Rum Erkek ve Kız Yetimhanesi Vakfı — rumvader.org
- Istanbul's Greek orphanage set for landmark restoration — Hürriyet Daily News — 2026-06-18; completion 1898 as a hotel; donation and conversion; closure 1964; June 2026 restoration agreement
- Büyükada Rum Yetimhanesi — Vikipedi (tr) — five-storey timber building; largest wooden building in Europe; 1980 fire; Europa Nostra 2018; revision of 2026-08-02
- Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage — Wikipedia (en) — dates 1898 and 1964; revision of 2026-07-17
- Wikidata Q5005317 — coordinates
Last updated: