The Zariphios School ( el, Ζαρίφειος Σχολή Φιλιππουπόλεως, "Zariphios School of Philippopolis") was a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
educational institution established in 1875 in
Plovdiv
Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
(Philippopolis), then in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
and now in
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
. It became one of the most significant Greek educational centres in the region of
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
, attracting teachers from
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
and existed until 1906.
The Zariphios was one of the first schools of the
Greek diaspora
The Greek diaspora, also known as Omogenia ( el, Ομογένεια, Omogéneia), are the communities of Greeks living outside of Greece and Cyprus (excluding Northern Cyprus). Such places historically include Albania, North Macedonia, parts of ...
that introduced primary and secondary education for girls.
Background
Until the early 20th century, the Greek community was one of the three most numerous ethnic communities in Plovdiv, behind
Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely understo ...
and
Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
. Greek education was thriving during the 19th century and reached a peak in the 1880s. At that time the city hosted eight Greek language schools: one boys' school, three mutual education schools, one central, one district girls' schools and two pedagogical academies. There were also two private parish schools with clerics as teachers.
[
]
History
Zariphios was established in 1875 owing to an initiative of the ''Greek Education Committee of Thrace'' and the sponsorship of the banker and benefactor from Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
Georgios Zariphis
Georgios Y. Zariphis ( el, Γεώργιος Ζαρίφης, tr, Yorgo Zarifi; 1810 – 28 March 1884), also known as Yorgo Zarifi, was a prominent Ottoman Greek banker and financier. He was also well known as a prominent benefactor of his time. ...
, one of the prominent personalities in the Ottoman capital's business life at the time.[ Additionally, Zariphis offered an annual amount of 1,000 pounds for the school's needs.][
The school soon became a well known educational institution for Greek communities inside and outside the region of Eastern Rumelia (an autonomous province under Ottoman control, established in 1878 and united in 1885 with the ]Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria ( bg, Княжество България, Knyazhestvo Balgariya) was a vassal state under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. It was established by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878.
After the Russo-Turkish War ende ...
) and Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
.[ To increase its authority and prestige, the Zariphios increased its contacts with prominent educational institutions in ]Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
and Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
.[ Moreover, it attracted university teachers in the fields of ]philology
Philology () is the study of language in oral and writing, written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defin ...
, mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
and theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
from the capital of the Greek state, Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, as well as music teachers from France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
.[
From 1881, the Zariphios and the rest of the Greek schools in the city synchronized their curriculum with the schools in Greece, while from 1885 they issued certificates identical to those of high schools in Greece.][ In 1906, Greek-Bulgarian antagonism over the ]Macedonian Question
The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times.
Еarliest historical inhabitants
The earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Pelasgians, the Bryges and the Thracians. The Pelasgians occupied E ...
led to the departure of the majority of the Greek community. Their schools had to close, and the remaining female students of the Zariphios attended the local French college of Saint Augustine.[
]
Notable teachers
*Gregorios Bernardakis
Gregorios N. Bernardakis ( el, Γρηγόριος Ν. Βερναρδάκης, translit. ''Grigorios N. Vernardakis'', Neo-Latin language, Neolatin ''Gregorius N. Bernardakis'', b. Mytilene 1848, d. 1925) was a Greek people, Greek linguist, philol ...
(1848-1925), philologist, palaeographer and university professor
Notable graduates
* Christos Tsountas (1857–1913), archaeologist
* Patriarch Photios II of Constantinople
Photios II ( el, Φώτιος Βʹ), (born Dimitrios Maniatis; 1874 – 29 December 1935) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 7 October 1929 until 26 December 1935.
Biography
He was born in 1874 and baptized as Dimitrios Maniatis. ...
(1874–1935)
* Kostas Varnalis
Kostas Varnalis ( el, Κώστας Βάρναλης; 14 February 1884 – 16 December 1974) was a Greek poet.
Life
Varnalis was born in Burgas, Eastern Rumelia (now in Bulgaria), in 1884. As his name suggests, his family originated from Varna; ...
(1884–1974), poet
See also
* Greeks in Bulgaria
Greeks in Bulgaria ( bg, гърци ''Gǎrci'') constitute the eighth-largest ethnic minority in Bulgaria ( el, Βουλγαρία ''Voulgaria''). They number 1,356 according to the 2011 census. They are estimated at around 25,000 by Greek organ ...
References
{{reflist
Education in the Ottoman Empire
Greek diaspora in Europe
Education in Plovdiv
Defunct schools in Bulgaria
Educational institutions established in 1875
Educational institutions disestablished in 1906
History of Plovdiv
1875 establishments in the Ottoman Empire
Organizations based in Plovdiv