A historical Armenian school, Mesrobyan School in Istanbul’s Gedikpasha district, is being transformed into a hotel, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Gedikpasha Surp Hovhannes Church Foundation head Harutyun Shanli, who is also the general secretary of the Armenian Foundations Solidarity Platform, has spoken to the Turkish publication and said the main reason they took this step with courage was the moderate policies the government had adopted in recent years.

“Before 2008, we could not even hammer a nail on the property we owned, but since 2008, everything has changed. With the new Foundation Law passed last year, we can reclaim our property and have the ownership returned to us,” he said.

The building that is to be transformed into a hotel dated back to the beginning of the 1900s, said Shanli, adding that the building served as a school until 1983 but had to be closed down because there were no students left.

The place which is located on the historical peninsula of Istanbul was then used as a shoe manufacturing shop for years.

The revenue generated by the hotel will be transferred to Armenian establishments in Istanbul and will be used to support people in need.
 

Shanli said they believed the hotel would be in high demand because of its vicinity to the historical peninsula.

“I hope that the administration will soon decide also about the Tokatlıyan Hotel in Beyoglu which is in ruins so that this hotel is transformed back into the glorious hotel it used to be.”

If Tokatlıyan is also renovated like the hotel in Gedikpasha, then the Armenian community would be free of financial problems, Şanlı said.

“Now, we have difficulty raising funds for our churches, schools and families in need. We are trying to make ends meet with donations and funds raised at certain events,” he said.