Kastamonu Abdurrahmanpaşa High School

Kastamonu Abdurrahmanpaşa High School was established on 20 April 1885 as “Kastamonu İdadisi” under the leadership of Abdurrahman Nurettin Pasha, the governor of Kastamonu at the time, as part of the Ottoman State’s policy of expanding education to the provinces. The Kastamonu İdadi School was officially inaugurated with a ceremony on 2 May 1885 by Governor Abdurrahman Nurettin Pasha. It was the first modern state high school established in Anatolia after Galatasaray and Istanbul high schools.

The establishment process reflected the governor’s strong commitment to education. The school’s first class opened in the building of the current Military Rüştiye; over time it expanded both in the number of classes and by transitioning to a boarding school. In 1912, the school was upgraded from “idadi” to “sultani” status, and after the proclamation of the Republic, it was renamed “Kastamonu High School.” In 1963, it was renamed again in honor of its founder as “Abdurrahmanpaşa High School.”

Role in the Çanakkale and War of Independence

Abdurrahmanpaşa High School was not merely an educational institution but also played an active role in national defense. During World War I and the Çanakkale Campaign, 120 students left for the front with a note reading, “Teacher, we are going to the front for our homeland; do not write us off as dead,” and most of them became martyrs. In 1921, due to students enlisting in the War of Independence, the school did not graduate any class that year.

Regarding the Çanakkale Campaign-TRT Türk

Physical Structure and Modernization Process

As the existing building became inadequate in 1937, construction began on a new high school building along Atatürk Avenue. This new structure evolved into a modern educational complex with classrooms, laboratories, a conference hall, and a dormitory. Following comprehensive renovations in 1995, the school met contemporary standards and in 2005 became an Anatolian High School. In 2019, it attained the status of a “project school.”

Place in Education and Notable Alumni

Since its founding, the school has produced numerous prominent figures and has served as a witness to both the final years of the Ottoman Empire and the Republican era. Many influential names in literature and intellectual life, including Arif Nihat Asya, Rıfat Ilgaz, Orhan Şaik Gökyay, Abdülbaki Gölpınarlı, and Behçet Necatigil, graduated from this institution.

Academic and Cultural Achievements

Abdurrahmanpaşa High School has distinguished itself not only through academic excellence but also through achievements in art and sports. Consecutive Turkish championships in handball during the 2000s, placements in international competitions, and awards won in TÜBİTAK projects demonstrate the school’s high educational quality.