Galatasaray Lisesi
Encyclopedia
Galatasaray High School is one of the most influential high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

s of modern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. Established in 1481, it is the second oldest Turkish high school in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

 and the third-oldest Turkish educational institution in the city which was established in 1475 and Istanbul University
Istanbul University
Istanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...

 which was established in 1453. Being an Anatolian High School
Anatolian High School
Anatolian High School refers to public or state high schools in Turkey that admit their students based on the nation-wide High School Entrance score....

, access to the school is open to students with a high Nationwide High School Entrance score. Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...

, which would go on to win the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

 in football in the year 2000, was formed in this institution with initial players all being members of the school. Galatasaray High School is one of the most important members of Galatasaray Community
Galatasaray Community
Galatasaray Community is the organization of Galatasaray institutions which were derived from Galatasaray Lisesi, which cooperate with each other under one roof. It was established on 11 October 1988, when the organization was created under the protocol purposes and internal regulations were...

 as Galatasaray University
Galatasaray University
Galatasaray University or Université Galatasaray is a Turkish university established in İstanbul, Turkey in 1992, following an agreement signed with the presence of President François Mitterrand of France and President Turgut Özal of Turkey during a ceremony at Galatasaray High School, the mother...

 and Galatasaray Sports Club
Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...

.

The name Galatasaray means Galata Palace, as the school is located near Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...

, the medieval Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....

 citadel at the north of the Golden Horn
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of...

. Since the 19th century, the name "Pera" refers to the larger district of Beyoğlu
Beyoglu
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...

 which includes the Galata quarter.

History

The history of Galatasaray High School dates back to 1481. The high school was first built in Beyoğlu
Beyoglu
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...

 and called Galata Sarayı Enderun-u Hümayunu (Galata Palace Imperial School).

Origins (1481–1830)

Bayezid II
Bayezid II
Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...

 (1447–1512) founded the Galata Sarayı Enderun-u Hümayunu in 1481. Known as the "peaceful Sultan", he revived the city of Istanbul after the conquest of 1453. Bayezid II often roamed the city, disguised as an ordinary citizen. Legend has it that on one of these rambles, he found a garden near Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...

 filled with beautiful red and yellow roses. In this garden, he met Gül Baba (Father Rose). The Sultan asked the wise man about how to improve the Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 and the city as they filled with a range of immigrants. Gül Baba explained that he was happy with the city, his rose garden and the reign of the Sultan, but he would be much happier if there were a school which would educate all students from this diverse range of backgrounds, as this would train the wise men needed to serve such a large Empire. He told the Sultan he would be proud to serve as a teacher in this school in order to create a generation of valuable subjects to the Empire. Bayezid II took Gül Baba at his word and returned to the garden weeks later with the edict which established the Ottoman Imperial School, on the grounds next to the rose garden, with Gül Baba as its headmaster. Gül Baba became the first headmaster of Galatasaray and administered the school for many years. He died during the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 raid to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

 and his tomb is located near Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...

.

When the Ottoman army went to war, dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...

es and minstrel
Minstrel
A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...

s accompanied it to provide religious prayers and entertainment. Dervishes and minstrels also armed themselves and joined the fighting whenever necessary. Gül Baba was one of these dervishes. Janissaries
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...

 were fond of the dervishes of the Bektashi Order, since they regarded Haji Bektash as their convent's chief.

German historian Theodor Menzel suggests that Gül Baba's name was a nickname, as "rose" was the sign of being a leader of the Bektashi lodge.

Interim period (1830–1868)

Galata Palace Imperial School remained open until the 1830s, when the movement of reform and reorganization
Tanzimat
The Tanzimât , meaning reorganization of the Ottoman Empire, was a period of reformation that began in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. The Tanzimât reform era was characterized by various attempts to modernize the Ottoman Empire, to secure its territorial integrity against...

 abolished the Ottoman Empire's old establishment. Sultan Mahmud II
Mahmud II
Mahmud II was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. He was born in the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, the son of Sultan Abdulhamid I...

 (1808–1839) replaced the Imperial School with the Ottoman Medical School, staffed largely by French professors with most courses taught in the French. The Medical School functioned at the Galata Palace buildings for thirty some years.

Modern period (1868–1923)

Sultan Abdülaziz
Abdülâziz
Abdülaziz I or Abd Al-Aziz, His Imperial Majesty was the 32nd Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and reigned between 25 June 1861 and 30 May 1876...

 (1861–1876) was the first Ottoman sultan to travel to Europe. Invited by Napoleon III, in June–July 1867 he attended the World Exhibition in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. He then visited Queen Victoria in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, Wilhelm I in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

 and Franz Joseph I in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

. Sultan Abdülaziz was impressed by the French educational system during his visit, and on his return to Istanbul he announced the Edict of Public Education which established a free compulsory education system for all children until they became twelve. In September 1868, influenced by the French Lycée model, a school was established under the name "Lycée Impérial Ottoman de Galata-Sérai" (Galatasaray Mekteb-i Sultanisi). French was the main language of instruction, and many teachers were European. The students included members of all religious and ethnic communities of the Ottoman Empire.

Many students who attended the school during this 55 year period became prominent statesmen, educators, bureaucrats or writers in nation-states that were once a part of the Ottoman Empire. Some even served as the first statesmen in their newly established countries in Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia.

The influence of Galatasaray on modern Turkey has been enormous. As the need for administrators, diplomats, and other leaders with a modern education and capacity to handle Western administrative apparatus became more and more pressing, the graduates of Galatasaray filled these roles in the politics of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

 and then the Republic of Turkey.

Lycée de Galatasaray, with its contributions to the Westernization of the "East", came to be considered the "Window to the West".

Since this period, the district where this institution stands has been known as Galatasaray. In 1905, in one of Galatasaray's classrooms (Literature 5B), the Galatasaray Sports Club
Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...

 was founded by Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen is best known as the founder of Galatasaray Sports Club. His original name was Ali Sami Frashëri and he is the son of Sami Frashëri, one of the most famous Albanian writers, philosophers and playwrights...

 and his friends.

Establishment of the Republic of Turkey to Integrated Education System (1923–1992)

With the abolition of the Ottoman Empire and the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, the name of the school was changed to "Galatasaray Lisesi" (Lycée de Galatasaray).

Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, visited Galatasaray 3 times: on December 2, 1930; January 28, 1932; and July 1, 1933.

Instruction was conducted in Turkish and French, and the school was composed of an Elementary School (5 years) and a Lycée (7 years) where French Language and Literature, Philosophy, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English, and German were taught selectively in the last four years.

The school became co-educational in 1965, and female students now constitute at least 40% of the school's pupils.

One of the main buildings of the Feriye Palace on the Bosphorus, in the Ortaköy
Ortaköy
Ortaköy is a neighbourhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus....

 district, was also given to Galatasaray when it needed more room for expansion.

Integrated Education System (1992–present)

In the 1990s, Galatasaray entered another period of transformation. The signing of the Turkish-French Bilateral Agreement of 1992 led to the foundation of Galatasaray University
Galatasaray University
Galatasaray University or Université Galatasaray is a Turkish university established in İstanbul, Turkey in 1992, following an agreement signed with the presence of President François Mitterrand of France and President Turgut Özal of Turkey during a ceremony at Galatasaray High School, the mother...

 which essentially grew out of the Lycée. With the addition of a new primary education school, the three units emerged as autonomous components of an integrated education system under the aegis of the University.

The admission to the Lycée is by selective exams. Turkish primary school graduates take a very competitive centralized exam if they wish to be enrolled in a limited number of elite public high schools. Galatasaray admits 100 students from the top 500 of about 1,000,000 candidates. Galatasaray primary education school graduates are admitted to the Lycée, subject to examination. Lycée graduates may continue their higher education in Galatasaray University, where 25 percent of the enrollment quota is reserved for them, but are also subject to examination.

Until 1997, Lycée de Galatasaray was an 8-year school, which, for graduates of the 5-year compulsory primary school, involved 2 years of preparatory, 3 years of junior high, and 3 years of senior high school education. In the 2003–2004 academic year Galatasaray became a 5-year senior high school with the introduction of the 8-year compulsory primary education system in Turkey, including one year prep.

Galatasaray, being a boarding school, has a diverse student body, with boys and girls coming from every part of the country. The current curriculum consists of a blend of Turkish and French curricula, plus a number of additional language and elective courses. Courses on Turkish literature, geography, history, ethics, and art are taught in Turkish. French Literature, philosophy, sociology, mathematics, and science courses use French as the language of instruction. In addition, English is taught in the primary schools from sixth grad ande on, while Italian and Latin are taught in the Lycée grades.

The students set up an English Club in 1997, which regularly participates in the Harvard Model United Nations Conferences.

The Lycée de Galatasaray diploma is equivalent to the French Baccalaureate, and graduates of Galatasaray are admitted to universities in France without further examinations. Moreover, they have no difficulty in enrolling in the best universities in Turkey and abroad. After obtaining their University degrees, many of these students join the Civil and Diplomatic Services, which befits the Enderun and later Imperial school traditions.

Graduates of this school during the last 80 years have included two Prime Ministers, eight Foreign Affairs Ministers and scores of cabinet Ministers and Undersecretaries. Apart from these, the alumni of this institution have become academicians, judges, educators, writers, doctors, architects, engineers, journalists, artists, film directors, poets, painters and many other professionals.

Many Galatasaray alumni have joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They constitute an important body in the Diplomatic Corps, and the number of those who have reached the Ambassadorial rank exceeds one hundred.

Today, Lycée de Galatasaray graduates continue to occupy high ranking political, industrial and business positions within and outside Turkey. They are represented by 17 Alumni Associations, 9 in Turkey, and 8 in Europe, North America and South Africa.

Education

Education is primarily in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

. English and Italian are also taught as second languages. There is also a slight exposure to Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...

, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

, and Arabic through Literature and Religion classes, as well as Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 through the French classes.

The school years break down as follows:

Elementary School (8 years) — admission through a lottery.
French Prep (1 year)
Lyceum (4 years) — admission through the Secondary Education Institutions Entrance Exam (OKS)
French Prep (1 year)
University (4 years) — admission through the National University Entrance Exam (OSS)

In 2003, an 8-year Primary School system (which integrated the previous 5 years of Elementary School and 3 years of Junior High under a single body) was added in. With this new system, the one year Prep and four year Junior High education were transitioned into the Primary School.


Galatasaray extracurricular activities

  • GSL Music Club
  • GSL Press Club
  • GSL Culture and Literature Club
  • GSL Theatre Club
  • GSL Arts Club
  • GSL Social Sciences Club
  • GSL Folklore Club
  • GSL French Club
  • GSL Travel Club
  • GSL Gastronomy Club
  • GSL Sports Club
  • GSL Science & Technology Club
  • GSL Photography Club
  • GSL Civil Protection Club
  • GSL Cinema Club
  • GSL Natural Sports Club
  • GSL Philosophy Club
  • GSL Ecology Club
  • GSL Computer Club
  • GSL Robotics Club
  • GSL Chess Club
  • GSL English Club
  • GSL Anime-Manga Club
  • GSL Board Games Club


GSL English Club

Founded by students Onur Günday, Emir Kısagün and Mustafa Yazıcı in 1996, the club's goal was to create real-life activities for students to practice English. Thanks to the GSL English Club, in 1997, Galatasaray became the first high school whose primary language of education was not English to become accepted by the Harvard National Model United Nations Conference. In May 1999, under the presidency of Anil Ugurlu, the English Club also published the first English language school magazine in Galatasaray's history. The magazine, named "Third Dimension", expressed the importance of a third language in the school. The creation of the English Club and the publication of Third Dimension were considered revolutionary in a traditionally Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....

 school, where the influence of globalization and importance of English had finally expressed itself with the creation of the club.

Another thing which makes the English Club unique is that it's a uniquely student-managed and alumni-funded clu; the members are responsible for funding the Harvard MUN Conference through the donations they gather from the alumni. Since 1997, the GSL English Club sends an increasing number of students to the HMUN conference.

In 2005, the club reconstructed its member selection system and internal regulation thanks to the efforts of president Onur Surgit who is now continuing his higher education in the United States. Surgit's efforts have paid off as the club started to show serious progress in international conferences. Future presidents hope to build on Surgit's success and make the club progress even further.

The most significant success of the GSL English Club came when ex co-president Onur Çetintürk won the Outstanding Delegate Award in the 2006 MUNTR. Since then, the members of the club are determined to return to their homeland with an award from the prestigious Harvard National Model United Nations Conference.

In 2006, GSL English Club presidency was handed to Ali Yalgin with the utmost hope to continue the steps forward towards achieving a first place in an international MUN conference.

Fraternity: Ağabey-Abla tradition

At Galatasaray there is a tradition of respecting the elder brothers and sisters. The elders protect the younger brothers/sisters while the younger ones respect the elders, creating a relationship of fraternal hierarchy and ranks among the student body. After graduation, this fraternity continues regardless of age, status or geographic location.

Being the Window to the West

Lycée de Galatasaray, with its contributions to the Westernization of the "East", came to be considered the "Window to the West".

Galatasaray alumni

During 80 years of the Republican Period, there were two Prime Ministers, eight Foreign Ministers, scores of other Cabinet Ministers and Undersecretaries in the state administration. Apart from these, many academicians, judges, educators, writers, doctors, architects, engineers, journalists, artists, stage artists, film directors, poets, painters etc. constitute the illustrious alumni of this institution.

Grand Viziers and Prime Ministers

  • Çorlulu Ali Paşa, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
  • Melek Ahmet Paşa, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
  • Keçecizade Fuat Paşa, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
  • Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
    Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
    Ali Suat Hayri Ürgüplü was a Turkish political figure. He served a brief term as prime minister of Turkey in 1965.-Biography:...

    , Prime Minister of Turkey
  • Nihat Erim
    Nihat Erim
    Ismail Nihat Erim was a Turkish politician and jurist. Nihat Erim was born in Kandıra to Raif Erim and Macide Erim. He served as the prime minister of Turkey from 1971 until 1972, for almost 14 months...

    , Prime Minister of Turkey

Foreign Kings, Presidents and Prime Ministers

  • King Zog of Albania
    Albania
    Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

     (1928–1939)
  • Yitzhak Ben-Zvi
    Yitzhak Ben-Zvi
    Yitzhak Ben-Zvi was a historian, Labor Zionist leader, the second and longest-serving President of Israel.-Biography:...

     (1884–1963), historian, Labor Zionist leader, and 2nd President of Israel
    Israel
    The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

  • Mehmet Ali El-Abid, President of Syria
    Syria
    Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

     (1932) and Ambassador of Syria to the United States in Washington D.C. (1890 graduate)
  • Suphi Bereket, Prime Minister of Syria

Ministers

  • Mehmet Sait Paşa, Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
  • Abdurrahman Abdi Paşa, Vizier of the Ottoman Empire
  • Mahmut Muhtar Paşa, Minister of Navy of the Ottoman Empire (1886 graduate)
  • Keçecizade Fuat Paşa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ottoman Empire
  • Abdurrahman Şeref, Minister of Education of the Ottoman Empire
  • Osman Nizami Paşa, Minister of Construction of the Ottoman Empire (1876 graduate)
  • Şemsettin Paşa, Minister of Documents of the Ottoman Empire (1878 graduate)
  • Mustafa Reşit Paşa, Minister of the Ottoman Empire between 1912 and 1920
  • Ali Paşa
  • Dr. Cemil Topuzlu, Minister of Construction of the Ottoman Empire
  • Sabahattin Tanman, Minister of Customs and Monopoly of the Ottoman Empire
  • Prof. Yusuf Hikmet Bayur, Minister of Education of the Ottoman Empire (1909 graduate)
  • Necmeddin Sadak, Minister of Foreign Affairs (1910 graduate)
  • İ. Hakkı Baban, Minister of Education
  • Hamdullah Suphi Tanrıöver, Minister of Education
  • Şükrü Kaya
    Sükrü Kaya
    Şükrü Kaya was an Ottoman civil servant and Turkish politician, who served as government minister, Minister of Interior and Minister of Foreign affairs in several governments....

    , Minister of Agriculture, Interior and Foreign Affairs
  • Hikmet Bayur, Minister of Education
  • Feridun Cemal Erkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
    Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
    Ali Suat Hayri Ürgüplü was a Turkish political figure. He served a brief term as prime minister of Turkey in 1965.-Biography:...

    , Minister of Customs and Monopoly
  • Fatin Rüştü Zorlu
    Fatin Rüstü Zorlu
    Fatin Rüştü Zorlu was a Turkish diplomat and politician. He was executed by hanging after the coup d'état in 1960 along with two other politicians.-Biography:...

    , Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Kasım Gülek
    Kasim Gülek
    Kasım Gülek was a prominent Turkish statesman credited with being instrumental in entrenching democracy in Turkey by taking politics to the masses.-Biography:...

    , Minister of Construction, Transport and State
  • Cihad Baban, Minister of Culture and Tourism
  • Prof. Dr. Nihat Erim
    Nihat Erim
    Ismail Nihat Erim was a Turkish politician and jurist. Nihat Erim was born in Kandıra to Raif Erim and Macide Erim. He served as the prime minister of Turkey from 1971 until 1972, for almost 14 months...

    , Minister of Construction, Deputy Prime Minister
  • Turan Güneş, Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Orhan Eyüpoğlu, Minister of State
  • Prof. Dr. Orhan Dikmen, Minister of Agriculture
  • Mehmet Baydur, Minister of Trade
  • Malik Yolaç, Minister of Youth and Sports
  • Necmettin Cevheri, Minister of State
  • İlter Türkmen
    Ilter Türkmen
    İlter Türkmen is a Turkish diplomat and politician.-Early life:Son of Behçet Türkmen , who served between 1953 to 1957 as a consultant of the Turkish National Security Service , which was a predecessor of the National Intelligence Organization .-Career:Türkmen was Turkey's permanent representative...

    , Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Prof. Dr. Turhan Feyzioğlu, Deputy Prime Minister
  • Şahap Kocatopçu, Minister of Industry and Trade
  • Hasan Esat Işık, Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Dr. Ali Tanrıyar, Minister of Interior
  • Mükerrem Taşçıoğlu, Minister of Culture and Tourism
  • Coşkun Kırca
    Coskun Kirca
    Coşkun Kırca was a Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 1995. He was a member of the True Path Party.-Biography:...

    , Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • İlhan Evliyaoğlu, Minister of Culture and Tourism
  • Prof. Dr. Mümtaz Soysal
    Mümtaz Soysal
    Mümtaz Soysal is a Turkish politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 1994. He was a member of the Social Democratic People's Party . He is the founder and the leader of the Turkish Independent Republican Party since 2004. He married Sevgi Soysal.-References:* Who is Who...

    , Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Fikri Sağlar, Minister of Culture

Ministers of foreign countries

  • Konstantin Velichkov
    Konstantin Velichkov
    Konstantin Velichkov was a Bulgarian writer and public figure.-Biography:He was born in the town of Pazardzhik....

    , Minister of Education of Bulgaria and writer (1874 graduate)

Governors

  • Serasker
    Serasker
    Serasker or Seraskier is a title formerly used in the Ottoman Empire for a Vizier who commanded the army, and later for the National Minister of Defence....

     Mehmet Sait Paşa
  • Mar'i Pasha Al Mallah
    Mar'i Pasha Al Mallah
    Mar'i Pasha Al Mallah : Syrian political leader and Statesman. Born in Aleppo . Graduated from the Galatasaray Mekteb-i Sultanisi , Constantinople, 1876...

    , last Ottoman Interim Governor of the Province of Aleppo
    Aleppo
    Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...

    , Syria (1876 graduate)

Notable diplomats

Below are the names of Galatasaray alumni, who represented the Republic of Turkey as ambassadors to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 and other countries.

United States:
  • Feridun Cemal Erkin (GS. 1920) 1948–1955
  • Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
    Suat Hayri Ürgüplü
    Ali Suat Hayri Ürgüplü was a Turkish political figure. He served a brief term as prime minister of Turkey in 1965.-Biography:...

     (GS. 1924) 1957–1960
  • Şükrü Elekdağ
    Şükrü Elekdağ
    Mustafa Şükrü Elekdağ is a Turkish diplomat, academician and politician.He served as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ambassador of Turkey to Japan and to the United States . He was also the Member of Parliament from the Republican People's Party.He was one of the...

     (GS. 1943) 1979–1989


Canada:
  • Coşkun Kırca
    Coskun Kirca
    Coşkun Kırca was a Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 1995. He was a member of the True Path Party.-Biography:...

     (GS. 1945) 1985–1986


United Nations:
  • İlter Türkmen
    Ilter Türkmen
    İlter Türkmen is a Turkish diplomat and politician.-Early life:Son of Behçet Türkmen , who served between 1953 to 1957 as a consultant of the Turkish National Security Service , which was a predecessor of the National Intelligence Organization .-Career:Türkmen was Turkey's permanent representative...

     (GS. 1945) 1975–1980 and 1985–1988
  • Coşkun Kırca
    Coskun Kirca
    Coşkun Kırca was a Turkish diplomat, journalist and politician. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 1995. He was a member of the True Path Party.-Biography:...

     (GS. 1945) 1980–1985


Austria:
  • Daniş Tunalıgil
    Danis Tunaligil
    Hüseyin Daniş Tunalıgil was a Turkish diplomat. He was assassinated by JCAG in 1975 during his duty as the Turkish ambassador to Austria.-Life and career:...

     (GS. 1933) –1975


France:
  • Necdet Kent
    Necdet Kent
    İsmail Necdet Kent was a Turkish diplomat who risked his life to save Jews during World War II. While vice consul-general in Marseilles, France between 1941 and 1944, he gave Turkish citizenship to dozens of Turkish Jews living in France who did not have proper identity papers, to save them from...

    : Given the title Righteous among the Nations
    Righteous Among the Nations
    Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....

     for saving many Jews in the invaded city of Marseille
    Marseille
    Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...

     in World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

    .

Notable graduates

  • Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu
    Yunus Nadi Abalioglu
    Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu was a renowned Turkish journalist and founder of the newspaper Cumhuriyet.Yunus Nadi was born in 1879 in the Seydiler village of the south Aegean town Fethiye. After primary school in Fethiye, he was schooled on Rhodes. Later on, Yunus Nadi moved to Istanbul, where he...

    , journalist
  • Daron Acemoglu
    Daron Acemoglu
    Kamer Daron Acemoğlu is a Turkish-American economist of Armenian origin. He is currently the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and winner of the 2005 John Bates Clark Medal. He is among the in the world according to IDEAS/RePEc...

    , economist
  • Engin Ardıç
    Engin Ardiç
    Engin Ardıç is a well known Turkish writer and journalist who, with the commencement of private television broadcasting in Turkey, also worked as a television commentator in the 1990s.-Biography:...

    , journalist
  • Bülent Arel
    Bülent Arel
    Bülent Arel was a Turkish-born composer of contemporary classical music and electronic music.He was born in Istanbul, and studied composition at the Ankara Conservatory and sound engineering in Paris...

    , composer
  • Ünal Aysal
    Ünal Aysal
    Ünal Aysal , is a Turkish businessman. He is currently the president of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray S.K..-Business career:He was graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1961...

    , 34th president of Galatasaray S.K.
    Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
    Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....

  • Okan Bayülgen
    Okan Bayülgen
    Okan Bayülgen is a Turkish actor, variety and talk show host, comedian and photographer.-Biography:Bayülgen was born on March 23, 1964 in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of a lawyer father and a painter mother....

    , actor and TV show host
  • Çetin Emeç
    Çetin Emeç
    Çetin Emeç, was a prominent Turkish journalist and columnist, who was assassinated.-Early life:He was born to Selim Ragıp Emeç, journalist and later co-founder of the Democratic Party, and his wife Rabia Emeç. He had two sisters, Zeynep and Leyla, and a brother, Aydın.After finishing the...

    , journalist
  • Candan Erçetin
    Candan Erçetin
    Candan Erçetin, is a Turkish singer and songwriter.-Biography:Candan Erçetin was born on 10 February 1963 in Kırklareli, Turkey in an Albanian family. She studied at Lycée de Galatasaray, and graduated from Istanbul University with a degree in Archaeology...

    , pop musician
  • Ulvi Cemal Erkin
    Ulvi Cemal Erkin
    Ulvi Cemal Erkin was a member of the pioneer group of symphonic composers in Turkey, born in the period 1904 - 1910, who later came to be called The Turkish Five. These composers set out the direction of music in the newly established Turkish Republic...

    , composer
  • Feza Gürsey
    Feza Gürsey
    Feza Gürsey was a Turkish mathematician and physicist. His best known contribution to theoretical physics is his work on the Nonlinear Chiral Lagrangian.-Biography:...

    , physicist
  • Abdi İpekçi
    Abdi Ipekçi
    Abdi İpekçi was a Turkish journalist, intellectual and an activist for human rights. He was murdered while editor-in-chief of the Turkish daily newspaper Milliyet.-Biography:...

    , journalist
  • Todor Kableshkov
    Todor Kableshkov
    Todor Kableshkov was a 19th-century Bulgarian revolutionary and one of the leaders of the April Uprising....

    , Bulgarian national activist
  • Fikret Kızılok
    Fikret Kizilok
    Fikret Kızılok was a Turkish musician. He was a pioneer of Turkish rock music and an early experimentalist...

    , musician
  • Barış Manço
    Baris Manço
    Barış Manço was a Turkish rock singer, composer, and television producer. He composed about 200 songs, some of which were translated into a variety of languages including English, Japanese, Greek, Italian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Persian, Urdu and Arabic...

    , musician
  • Stoyan Mihaylovski
    Stoyan Mihaylovski
    Stoyan Nikolov Mihaylovski was a Bulgarian writer and social figure.-Biography:Mihaylovski was born to a prominent Bulgarian National Revival family in Elena as the son of Nikola Mihaylovski and the nephew of religious leader Stoyan Mihaylovski, better known as Ilarion Makariopolski...

    , Bulgarian writer and politician (1872 graduate)
  • Nikola Milev
    Nikola Milev
    Professor Nikola Iliev Milev was a Bulgarian historian, publicist, public figure, diplomat, and a participant in the Macedonian revolutionary movement.- Biography :...

    , Bulgarian historian
  • İlhan Mimaroğlu
    Ilhan Mimaroglu
    İlhan Mimaroğlu is a musician and composer. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey on March 11, 1926, the son of the famous architect Mimar Kemaleddin Bey depicted on the Turkish lira banknotes, denomination 20 lira, of the 2009 E-9 emission. He graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1945 and the...

    , composer
  • Simeon Radev
    Simeon Radev
    Simeon Traychev Radev was a Bulgarian writer, journalist, diplomat and historian most famous for his two-volume book The Builders of Modern Bulgaria....

    , eminent Bulgarian diplomat and historian
  • Süreyya Serdengeçti
    Süreyya Serdengeçti
    Süreyya Serdengeçti is a Turkish economist and former Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey. He is currently working as an instructor in Turkish and world economics at the TOBB University of Economics and Technology in Ankara, Turkey....

    , economist, former Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey
  • Ferhan Şensoy
    Ferhan Sensoy
    Ferhan Şensoy is a prominent Turkish playwright, actor and stage director.-Personal background:Ferhan Şensoy was born in Çarşamba, Samsun Province, where he attended Gazi Osman Paşa Preliminary School. His mother, Müjgan Şensoy, was a primary school teacher and his father, Yusuf Cemil Şensoy, was...

    , writer, comedian, actor, director, theatre owner
  • Turgay Şeren
    Turgay Seren
    Turgay Sabit Şeren is the former goalkeeper of Galatasaray. He played at Galatasaray between 1947 and 1966 and was capped 52 times for Turkey, including two matches as the 1954 FIFA World Cup. His heroic saves against West Germany in 1951 in Berlin was what he is still remembered for. Turkey had...

    , soccer player, goalkeeper and team captain of Galatasaray S.K.
    Galatasaray S.K.
    Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...

     and Turkey
  • Haldun Taner
    Haldun Taner
    Haldun Taner is a well-known Turkish playwright and short story writer. He was born on March 16, 1915 in Istanbul...

    , journalist, writer
  • İlhan Usmanbaş
    Ilhan Usmanbas
    İlhan Usmanbaş is a Turkish composer.Born in Istanbul, Usmanbaş grew up in Ayvalık. When he was twelve years old, his elder brother gave him a cello, and began to teach himself to play. After moving back to Istanbul, he studied the cello seriously...

    , composer

Galatasaray Alumni Pilav Day

Galatasaray alumni gather on the grounds of the Lycée every year, on the first Sunday of June, to enjoy the traditional Pilav Day, a day of reunion and feast for all Galatasaraylıs, where a special Pilav (rice pilaf) and meat is served in the school's cafeterias as in the old school days. Many schools have copied this tradition and now hold their reunions and call them "Pilav Days".

Global Alumni Associations of "Galatasaraylıs"



Galatasaray alumni groups by year



See also

  • Galatasaray University
    Galatasaray University
    Galatasaray University or Université Galatasaray is a Turkish university established in İstanbul, Turkey in 1992, following an agreement signed with the presence of President François Mitterrand of France and President Turgut Özal of Turkey during a ceremony at Galatasaray High School, the mother...

  • Galatasaray Sports Club
    Galatasaray S.K.
    Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...

  • List of the oldest schools in the world

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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