Modern Turkey

The making of modern Turkey almost a hundred years ago,  is a fascinating story that includes some significant names, of whom Ataturk is Numero Uno.  The school where I have taught since 1998, Robert College, established in 1863, has played its part in turning out various further significant figures for this modern state, including prime ministers,  journalists and writers (including Nobel winner Orhan Pamuk), significant actors, artists, doctors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and more.  Today's pic, for Hobbs 'Wide Angle Wednesday' on a theme of 'Modern' shows the science building,  named after Feyyaz Berker RC'46, who at 89 is still, amazingly, actively involved in the life of Robert College through various philanthropic gestures. 


Living and working in a school built in C19th, the theme of 'modern' was a bit of a challenge - I wanted to focus on architecture.  Istanbul itself is a right ol' soup of ancient and modern, but after a long day spent grading as final exams begin, I lacked the wherewithal to get out there to show you.  So instead, I took a walk with camera to the science building, seen here through the forum that straddles the theatre and gymnasium as the nearest thing to a physical representation of 'modern' (depending of course on your definition of the word) that I could think of in this heart of tradition and history.  Built, I believe, in the late eighties, an abundance of concrete - I do not care for it aesthetically, but enjoy the faciltiities it offers.  Here endeth my lesson on Turkey and this High School in particular.  


Epilogue: still wondering how I managed to get a job here 17 years ago.