Historic Wooden Greek Orphanage in Büyükada to Undergo Landmark Restoration Partnership
A landmark restoration project has been launched to save the historic Greek orphanage in Büyükada, known as the largest wooden building in Europe, from decades of advanced structural deterioration. The property owner, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, formalized an agreement on June 15, 2026, during a ceremony attended by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and Australia Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis.
The restoration will be executed through a partnership with Turkish conglomerate Bilgili Holding and a Greece-based sustainable tourism and real estate firm. Originally designed by Levantine architect Alexandre Vallaury and completed in 1898 as the Prinkipo Palace luxury hotel, the building was converted into an orphanage in 1903. It has remained abandoned since its closure in 1964. The international partners have pledged to preserve the original architectural character of the 206-room structure and return it to active use.
Source: Hürriyet Daily News
