Bursa Male High School

Bursa Erkek Lisesi (BEL) is a historic Anatolian high school under the authority of the Ministry of National Education, located in the Osmangazi district of Bursa. Established in 1883, the school is among the most enduring educational institutions to have continued operations from the Ottoman Empire to the present day.

^{Bursa Erkek Lisesi girişi (}Türkiye Kültür Portalı⁾

Bursa Erkek Lisesi began its educational activities in 1883 (Hijri 1300) as a two-grade institution named Mülkiye İdadisi, following the initiative of then-Governor of Bursa Ahmet Vefik Paşa. The school’s first service building, constructed with wooden architecture, still stands at its current location. The school expanded to four grades in 1886 and to seven grades in 1889.

In 1892, due to the inadequacy of the existing building, Governor Mahmud Celaleddin Paşa ordered the demolition of the old wooden structure and the construction of a new masonry school building. The construction was completed in 1895 (Hijri 1311), and the new building was opened for service. A commemorative inscription was prepared by Mahmud Celaleddin Paşa, which reads: “Celal itmamına vali iken nazmeyledi tarih / Bu âli mektebi Abdülhamit Han eyledi nev-bünyad” (When Governor Celal completed this noble school, he inscribed its date; Sultan Abdülhamit II commissioned its construction).^【1】 In 1903, the school was elevated to the status of Mekteb-i Sultani.

During the Turkish War of Independence, when Bursa was occupied, the school building was temporarily used as a military hospital and dormitory, interrupting educational activities. After the proclamation of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited the school in 1924 and 1925, observed classes, and signed the honor book. A new classroom building with reinforced concrete architecture was added to the campus in 1960, and a dormitory and indoor sports hall were added in 1973. In 1973, the school was named Bursa Erkek Lisesi; in 2005, it became Bursa Anadolu Erkek Lisesi (the institution attained the status of an Anatolian High School that year); and in 2018, it reverted to the name Bursa Erkek Lisesi, which it retains today.^【2】

Bursa Erkek Lisesi provides combined education under the Anatolian High School curriculum of the Ministry of National Education. The education period is four years. English is taught as the primary foreign language, and a second foreign language is also offered. The school organizes classes according to numerical, equal-weight, and verbal disciplines.

Student admissions are conducted based on the centralized exam scores of the High School Transition System (LGS), organized nationally by the Ministry of National Education. Students are placed in the school according to their LGS scores and their preferences during the selection period. The school’s capacity and minimum percentile thresholds vary annually based on the overall performance graph of the exam.

^{Okulun müze bölümünden bir görsel (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

The campus of Bursa Erkek Lisesi is located within a historic protected area and contains buildings designated as registered cultural heritage. The historic main building (Block A), completed in 1895, is a masonry structure reflecting the neoclassical Ottoman architectural style of its era. The campus also includes a classroom building constructed during the Republican period (Block B), an indoor sports hall, a student dormitory, and administrative areas.^【3】

The school’s rich archival materials, instructional tools from various periods, historical laboratory equipment, and documents are exhibited in the officially registered school museum. The museum houses Ottoman-era handwritten report cards, 19th-century maps, imperial decrees, and historical documents signed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during his visit to the school.

The school provides education to students from within Bursa and surrounding provinces. Thanks to the dormitory building on campus, both boarding and day students receive their education here. Originally established as an all-male institution, the school now has a mixed-gender student body with both male and female students studying together.

Since its founding, Bursa Erkek Lisesi has achieved significant academic success at both individual and collective levels in national university entrance examinations. Students represent the school in TÜBİTAK research project competitions, national science olympiads, and regional sports tournaments. The school’s achievement plaques, sports trophies, and scientific awards are preserved in the school museum and administrative exhibition areas.

Over its more than 140-year educational history, the school has produced many prominent figures in Turkey’s politics, literature, art, science, and bureaucracy. Notable historical alumni include:

• Reşat Nuri Güntekin: One of the leading novelists and playwrights of Turkish literature, who wrote part of his famous work Çalıkuşu during his tenure as a teacher at this school.
• Sait Faik Abasıyanık: A pioneering writer of Turkish short stories, who completed part of his secondary education at Bursa Erkek Lisesi and wrote his earliest stories during this period.
• Zeki Müren: Renowned artist and composer of classical Turkish music.

^{Bursa Erkek Lisesi mezunları geleneksel pilav gününde (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

The core elements of Bursa Erkek Lisesi’s institutional identity are the colors yellow and red. The school emblem features the founding year, 1883, alongside a traditional motif symbolizing the school’s initials. The annual traditional “Pilav Günü” (Rice Day) events bring together alumni, teachers, and current students on campus, ensuring the intergenerational transmission of school culture. The Bursa Erkek Lisesi Alumni Association (BELDER), active within the school, also contributes to preserving these cultural ties.

Throughout its long history, Bursa Erkek Lisesi has maintained a dynamic structure supporting students’ social and cultural development. Student choirs established within the school perform the Bursa Erkek Lisesi March during traditional ceremonies and cultural gatherings, keeping the institutional culture alive. Various social clubs and artistic groups enable students to express themselves outside of class hours. Additionally, events held on campus and established as traditions provide students with opportunities to develop organizational skills in the fields of science, art, and social responsibility. This cultural atmosphere, strengthening intergenerational bonds, offers students not only an academic environment but also the social heritage of a deeply rooted intellectual tradition.