The historic Orhangazi Primary School is in Akçakoca centre, on Rıfat Ilgaz Street. Construction began in 1926; it opened in 1929 and was used as a school until 2015. Today it serves as a Public Education Centre.
The building is one of the first schools built by the state in the early Republican period. It was built in the First National Architecture style to a standard design that architect Mukbil Kemal Taş prepared for the Gazi and Latife schools in Ankara; it stands out for its symmetrical plan and wide eaves.
The writer Rıfat Ilgaz taught at this school. His novel "Karadeniz'in Kıyıcığında" ("On the Little Shore of the Black Sea"), set in Akçakoca, describes the town's early Republican years, the forests turning into hazelnut orchards and small-town life.
Before you go
- The building is in public use today; you can see it from outside during working hours without disturbing the course participants.
- Reading Rıfat Ilgaz's novel before your visit will make you see the town with different eyes.
