Istanbul’s Greek orphanage set for landmark restoration
A landmark restoration project has been launched to save the historic Greek orphanage in Büyükada, the largest wooden building in Europe, from decades of deterioration and the threat of collapse.
The restoration will be carried out through a partnership involving the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the property’s owner, a Turkish conglomerate Bilgili Holding and a Greece-based sustainable tourism and real estate company.
The agreement was formalized on June 15 during a ceremony held at the Patriarchate in Istanbul, attended by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, Australia Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis, Bilgili Holding Chairman Serdar Bilgili and representatives of the project’s international partners. The partners pledged to restore the structure in accordance with its original architectural character and return it to active use.
Known historically as Prinkipo Palace, the imposing five-story building was designed by renowned Levantine architect Alexandre Vallaury and completed in 1898 as a luxury hotel.
