Say Konya and what comes to mind is not only Rumi, etliekmek or the historic Seljuk madrasas. Konya High School — the Stone School — holds a very particular and monumental place in this ancient city's history of education, a great tree that since 1889 has given the country countless statesmen, scientists, writers, artists and patriots. Let us discover together the story of this deep-rooted school and the mark it has left on the history of education in Türkiye.
The History of Konya High School From Foundation to the Present
Konya High School began teaching in 1889, in the last period of the Ottoman Empire, in the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II.
- The Nizamiye Madrasa years: The school first opened at "idadi" (secondary) level within the Nizamiye Madrasa.
- Boarding idadi and the Stone School: Before long, heavy demand from the region led to a boarding section being added and the school taking the name "Konya İdadisi". The historic building still in use today was built of cut stone as one of the finest examples of the First National Architecture Movement — which is why it became known locally as the "Stone School".
The National Struggle and the War Years
Konya High School is not only an educational institution but a stronghold of the struggle for national independence.
- The Battle of Gallipoli (1915): In the hottest days of the Gallipoli front, the final-year students of the Konya Sultani rushed as volunteers to defend the country. For that reason the school produced no graduates in 1915, having lost its final-year students as martyrs.
- The War of Independence and the hospital years: During the Battle of Sakarya and the Great Offensive, the school building served as a Military Hospital, and most of its teachers and students served at the front.
Changes of Name and Historical Turning Points
In parallel with reforms in the education system, Konya High School has passed through the following changes of name since its founding:
| Year | Title / Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1889 | Konya İdadisi | Its first form, opened in the Nizamiye Madrasa. |
| 1913 | Konya Sultanisi | Gained high school / sultani status with the reforms of the Second Constitutional Era. |
| 1923 | Konya Boys' High School | Adapted to the new education system with the proclamation of the Republic. |
| 1973 | Konya Gazi High School | Given the title "Gazi" and high school status. |
| 1998 | Konya High School & Gazi High School | Split into two separate institutions, teaching separately for a short period. |
| 1999 | Meram Konya High School | The name formed when the two were reunited. |
| 2005 | Konya High School (Anatolian) | Attained its present Anatolian High School status. |
Education, Location and School Identity
Konya High School today provides quality education with Anatolian High School status.
- Staff and student capacity: The language of instruction is Turkish, with English as the first foreign language and German as the second. The school continues its work with 79 teachers and more than 1,400 students in some 43 classes.
- Location: It rises with its historic fabric in Meram, a central district of Konya, on Atatürk Avenue, right beside the Zafer and Monument Area.
- Historical rank: It holds the title of the 26th oldest high school founded in Türkiye.
These lines from the school anthem sum up the role the institution sets itself:
The loveliest sound of history on its horizon,
Konya High School is a rising home.
Distinguished Graduates and Those Who Left Their Mark
Konya High School has raised towering names who shaped Türkiye's political, literary, scientific and artistic life — something very close to a school of leadership.
Statesmen and Politicians
- Turgut Özal: The 8th President and 19th Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye. Born in Malatya, Özal completed his secondary education at Konya High School because of his father's posting.
- Prof. Sadi Irmak: The 17th Prime Minister of the Republic of Türkiye, physician and academic.
- Vecdi Gönül: Former Minister of National Defence, Minister of the Interior and President of the Court of Accounts.
- Mehmet Keçeciler: Former Minister of State and Minister of the Interior.
- Prof. Sami Güçlü: Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, chair of the Anadolu Mektebi executive board.
- Işın Çelebi: Former Minister of State and economist.
- Hasan Dinçer and Faruk Sükan: Former ministers and members of parliament.
- İsmet Ocakçıoğlu and Sami Selçuk: Accomplished jurists who served as First President of the Court of Cassation.
- Uğur İbrahim Altay: Mayor of the Konya Metropolitan Municipality and President of UCLG (United Cities and Local Governments).
Writers, Poets and Thinkers
- Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar: A monumental name in Turkish literature (Huzur, The Time Regulation Institute, Beş Şehir). He was both a student at Konya High School and, in later years, a teacher of literature there. The climate of this school played a great part in the special place he gave Konya in Beş Şehir.
- Tarık Buğra: A master of the Turkish novel (Küçük Ağa, Osmancık, İbiş'in Rüyası). A graduate of Konya High School.
- Cahit Zarifoğlu: The renowned poet, one of the "Seven Beautiful Men", who spent part of his secondary education at Konya High School.
- Mustafa Öz: Theologian, researcher and writer.
Scientists and Academics
- Prof. Saim Sakaoğlu: An academic known for monumental studies in Turkish folklore and the Turkish language.
- Prof. Hikmet Birand: The renowned botanist, academic and author of "Alıç Ağacı ile Sohbetler".
- Prof. Cihat Abaoğlu: A doyen of the medical world and specialist in internal medicine.
- Prof. Hüseyin Nail Kubalı: One of Türkiye's foremost authorities in constitutional law.
- Prof. Feridun Nafiz Uzluk: Specialist in the history of medicine, a researcher and writer descended from Rumi.
The Stone School as Cultural Heritage
Konya High School is a source of inspiration not only for the past but for the present and the future. With the presidents, prime ministers, literary giants and scientists who have passed through its classrooms, it continues to carry with pride the torch of education that reaches from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic.