Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
HISTORY OF EDUCATION & CHILDRENS LITERATURE, cilt.15, sa.1, ss.519-551, 2020 (AHCI)
This study aims to shed light on the historical development of Italian missionary schools in the Ottoman Empire and their activities, based on archived documents of the Ottoman Empire. In the first part of the article, the history of the Italian missionary institutions and the activities before the Ottoman state are examined. In the second part, the establishment, activities, and effects of the missionary schools on the Ottoman society are determined. Up until the 19th century, the Italian missionary institutions attempted to disseminate Christianity in Ottoman territories under the protection of France, although they were unable to significantly develop. The basic activities were limited to the teaching of the Bible and Italian. After the colonization movements and the political unity of Italy in the 19th century, they changed into institutions serving Italian interests. In addition to Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the number of Italian schools increased across regions such as the Balkans, the Middle East, and North Africa. These schools also served as an Italian agency to the building of an Italian identity among Italian citizens. Up until World War I, Italian schools continued to exist within the Ottoman Empire, although most were closed after the war. Only the Italian High School continued to exist during the Republican period, continuing to provide training within Turkey but having ended its missionary efforts.