What I can see

Initially it operated as an orphanage complex and Islahane (House of Restoration) technical school under the name “School of Arts and Vocations Hamidieh”. 120-150 orphaned Muslim children aged 5-13 were housed and trained here. Their studies used to last five years and they were mainly trained in carpentry, blacksmithing, weaving, tailoring, shoemaking and printing. The complex consisted of three buildings, but only the school’s workshop building survives today. After its renovation, it has been operating as a multi-cultural space and includes a permanent exhibition on the history of the building and the neighbourhood, using audio-visual media, photographs, texts and other archives.

What I can't see

After the annexation of Thessaloniki to Greece, the school gradually declined and finally closed. Small industries and the Axylitiotis machine workshop, a thriving business until the early 1990s, were housed here. After the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkiye (1923), it housed refugees and the 3rd Boys’ Secondary School. Today, the multipurpose space hosts periodic exhibitions, scientific, musical, theatrical and other cultural events.

Info

• Address: Elenis Zografou St.

Bibliography