With its striking red Marseille brick architecture, Fener Rum High School is a castle-like building that dominates the skyline of the Fener district. Built in the 1880s by the Greek architect Konstantinos Dimadis, who was renowned for designing many castles across Europe, the school features an eclectic style with neo-Baroque and neo-Gothic elements.Although it remains active as a school, today it serves only a few dozen students due to the shrinking Greek community in Istanbul. While the current building dates from the 19th century, the history of the school itself stretches back to 1454, just one year after the conquest of Istanbul by Mehmed the Conqueror. The Sultan invited the Greek community, many of whom had fled after the conquest, to return to the city, guaranteeing them the right to live freely and to practice their religion. As a result, the school was established in 1454 following an agreement between Sultan Mehmed and Patriarch Gennadius Scholarius.The original school stood next to the Patriarchate at the Church of the Holy Apostles, which was later demolished to make way for the Fatih Mosque. After the decision to construct the Fatih Mosque, the Patriarchate was relocated—first to the Fethiye Church, and eventually to Fener, where it remains today. The school moved along with it, as it functioned as the Patriarchate’s institution and produced a significant number of clergy for the Rum Orthodox community.