Greek orphanage on Büyükada set to become hotel

ISTANBUL

The Fener Greek Patriarchate has unanimously decided to restore and transform a long-abandoned Greek orphanage on Büyükada, one of the Princes’ Islands, into a hotel.

The patriarchate’s highest decision-making body approved the plan on June 3 to rehabilitate the historic building according to ecological standards, aiming to preserve the architectural heritage while reintroducing the site to regional tourism.

Community representative Laki Vingas told the council that previous restoration and financing attempts had failed. After reviewing the patriarchate’s reports, the council said the project should respect the unique architectural and social fabric of the island.

In an official statement, the council said the decision “was taken in order to respect the legacy of the Greek orphanage, which has served the needs of the community for many years, and with the belief that it will contribute to the economic, social and cultural development of the Princes' Islands.”

The orphanage was originally built in 1898 as a hotel designed by a French architect but never opened due to Ottoman-era licensing restrictions. It was purchased in 1903 by Greek philanthropist Eleni Zarifi and donated to the patriarchate, which operated it as an orphanage for about six decades.

Known as one of Europe’s largest wooden buildings and the world’s second-largest of its kind, the orphanage closed in 1964 for political reasons. Since then, the structure suffered serious deterioration, including fire damage in 1997, and was caught in ownership disputes until the 2010s when the patriarchate regained full rights after legal battles with the Turkish state.

The patriarchate plans to lease the property for many years and the lessee will be responsible for funding the hotel conversion, Greek daily Kathimerini said. A consortium including Türkiye, Greece and tourism companies may take on the project, according to the report.

Officials from Türkiye's Culture and Tourism Ministry confirmed to daily Hürriyet that the patriarchate has not yet submitted its restoration project for approval to the Cultural Heritage Protection Regional Board, which oversees construction in the area.