Halki Seminary to reopen in September after decades of closure, patriarch says
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has announced that the Halki Seminary, a prominent educational institution for the Greek community on İstanbul's Heybeliada island, will reopen in September with a grand ceremony.
The patriarch shared the development on May 10 during an official visit to Athens, according to reporting from Hürriyet newspaper. Bartholomew stated that the countdown for the reopening has begun.
"In the coming months, extensive renovation work on the school complex will be completed," Bartholomew was quoted as saying. "We will celebrate the opening in September."
The issue of the seminary was also discussed during a meeting between Bartholomew and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
"The positive news you have brought us regarding the reopening of the Halki Seminary is extremely important," Mitsotakis said according to Hürriyet. "I know this is a historic decision you have long desired."
Formal status of seminary
The seminary has been closed for 54 years. The patriarchate has requested that the school reopen under its former status as a private school affiliated with the National Education Ministry.
However, Turkish and Greek media reports suggest several formulas are being considered, including an institute affiliated with state universities, a theology faculty under a foundation university, or a vocational school. The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) is now involved in discussions regarding the school's future, with a "boutique university" model also reportedly on the table.
Located on land belonging to the Hagia Triada Monastery since the 9th century, the seminary has graduated 12 patriarchs and approximately 1,000 students throughout its history.
Monastery administrators received permission from the sultan to build the school in 1772, but it did not open until 1844 due to a fire in 1821. After the original building was destroyed in the 1894 İstanbul earthquake, it was rebuilt with the permission of Sultan Abdulhamid II and reopened in 1896. The 2,360 square meter structure was designed in the shape of the Greek letter Pi.
Following the Treaty of Lausanne, foreign schools were required to operate in accordance with the Turkish education system. The seminary was closed in 1971 following a Constitutional Court ruling. Since then, only the Private Halki Greek High School for Boys has continued to operate within the monastery.
Efforts to reopen the school gained momentum after Bartholomew took office in 1991.
In light of recent developments, Bartholomew met with Donald Trump on Sep 15, 2025. Following this meeting, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also spoke with Trump on Sep 25.
"We are ready to do whatever is necessary regarding the seminary in Heybeliada," Erdoğan said during the meeting.
"Very good. They needed help, and I said I would bring this issue up," Trump replied.