Büyükada Rum Orphanage About to Collapse: 'Ministry has Responsibility'

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The Büyükada Rum Orphanage İstanbul faces the risk of collapse more than ever.

After submitting a parliamentary question on the issue today (February 12), Tuma Çelik, an MP from the Peoples' Democratic Party told bianet that the building might not survive winter conditions.

"It shouldn't be difficult for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to protect such an important building. Besides, it is clear that the building should be taken under protection," he said, the building would collapse otherwise.

Çelik called on the ministry to "urgently take action" and stressed that if the building collapsed, the ministry would be responsible for that.

The deputy also called on the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality to "take responsibility" in project development, finding financing, and creating resources.

'The destruction is accelerating'

Korhan Gümüş, an architect closely following the process regarding the orphanage, told bianet that specialists from Europa Nostra and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople held two meetings on the issue.

The specialists discussed supporting the building with an inside structure but the situation is "serious" as financing problems continue and the project has not become final, he added.

'Why does the Patriarchate have to pay for it?'

"The orphanage building had been under the control of the General Directorate of Foundations for 10 years. In this period, the Ecumenical Rum Patriarchate could not do anything with the building," MP Çelik said.

"After legal struggles, they were able to take back the certificate of ownership but the building is about to collapse now. The Patriarchate faces a large bill. Why does the patriarchate have to pay the bill for this 10-year period of neglect?

"We also have an approach problem. In cultural heritage structures, especially in threatened structures, the ministry should take steps quickly.

"Protection of cultural heritage structures is one of the primary duties of the Ministry.

"The Ministry can create, protect and restore a budget for Turkish and Muslim cultural heritage buildings around the world whenever it wants to do.

"These should be done, but the same reaction should be shown for the protection of the Christian cultural heritage, which is part of the cultural heritage in Turkey."

About Büyükada Rum Orphanage

The building was first built as a luxury hotel and a casino in 1899 by Alexander Vallauri, a prominent architect in İstanbul at the time.

In the early 1900s, the Princes Islands had become a summer resort for communities from different ethnic and religious origins.

After Sultan Abdülhamid II disallowed the hotel to operate, the spouse of a prominent Greek banker bought the building and donated it to the Patriarchate, provided that the building would be used as an orphanage.

The orphanage continued to operate until it was shut down in 1964. Since then, the building has been neglected.

Problems regarding the ownership and usage of the building made it difficult to maintain and conserve the building.

It was damaged in a fire in 1980. Some parts of the roof collapsed. (PT/VK)