Category: Educational
Type: School
Location: At Meydanı Ave. Binbirdirek, Fatih
Date: 1883-1899
Designer: Raimondo D’Aronco
Period: Ottoman Empire
Photos: Kaan Çorbacı
Perched atop the ancient Sphendone walls of the Byzantine Hippodrome, the historic building currently serving the International Islamic, Science and Technology University is a masterwork of late Ottoman architecture designed by the renowned Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco. Originally commissioned in 1883 to house the Ministry of Agriculture, Mines, and Forests, and later serving as the Hamidiye Higher School of Commerce, the structure represents a sophisticated synthesis of Neo-Ottoman and Art Nouveau styles. Its imposing facade, characterized by elegant stonework and rhythmic window placements, harmonizes traditional motifs with the modernizing architectural trends of the late 19th century. Having functioned as the rectorate of Marmara University for several decades, the edifice remains a vital testament to Istanbul’s cosmopolitan heritage, bridging the city’s imperial past with its contemporary academic identity through its unique position overlooking Sultanahmet Square.
