DARÜLACEZE INSTITUTION

This door is not a door of despair but a door of compassion... In one hundred and twelve years, a lot of people passed through this door. From wives of Pashas to Russian Princesses, from retired statesmen to famous composers, from babies left alone at the door of mosques to Bosnian children, a lot of people passed through this door of compassion.

Easy to say, a hundred years...

People who do not have an identification card, who have a son who is not a student or a soldier or older than 18, people with a spouse or parents, people with a contagious disease, a mental illness, tuberculosis, leprosy, cancer, alcohol, or narcotic addiction are not accepted to Darülaceze.

Income Sources

Real estate rent income donated to the institution, donations of charitable people both in cash and in any kind, ten percent of the entertainment tax that Istanbul Municipality collects are the income sources of Darülaceze. Besides alms and donations in the from of living animals, the skin and fur from sacrificed sheep are among the income sources. Donations to Darülaceze are used only for the needs of Darülaceze.

We are a green family

Today, Darülaceze is home for six hundred and fifty people. It is not atypical for this number to go up to a thousand in some periods. Since its foundation, Darülaceze has given shelter to seventy thousand people, out of which thirty thousand were children.

There are nine departments for people who need help, a nursery for children, a rehabilitation center which has a library and ten service buildings within the body of Darülaceze. The medical center helps with immediate or chronic diseases; in cases where resources are inadequate, Darülaceze communicates with other facilities and provides all medical aid possible.

Who is accepted?

According to the regulation, people who were born in Istanbul or reside in Istanbul, and who are very poor, have no relatives or are too old to work, as well as homeless children may apply to Darülaceze. Helpless people who apply with a residence certificate and an identification card go through some blood tests and medical examinations to check against AIDS, syphilis, contagious jaundice or alcohol addiction. Unless the application is rejected by the administrative and medical committee, the person is given accommodation in Darülaceze. This means that the person can spend the rest of their life in the peaceful environment of Darülaceze. Their wellbeing is guaranteed by Darülaceze. Darülaceze is the protector of all helpless people.

Darülaceze is celebrating the hundredth anniversary of its official opening date February 2, 1896, with joy and happines. It is standing upright on its two feet for a hundred years like an old tree providing peace and shelter for those who need it. Darülaceze shares the pleasure of serving almost a hundred thousand people in its history.

What happens if you are left without a family?

We tried to tell you what kind of an institution Darülaceze is. Hundreds of people who live in Darülaceze have hundreds of different memories and stories of Darülaceze.

Did you ever ask this question to yourself? "What if I did not have a family?”

If you have a home, a family and friends who love you and will be with you when you need someone, how happy for you! But what if you don't? Then there is Darülaceze.

Golden Coins In Foundation

Sultan Abdulhamit Han II, who founded Darülaceze, was hoping to give shelter to all beggars, homeless children living in the streets, and homeless people sleeping in the courtyards of mosques. He also wanted to take good care of all crippled people in Istanbul. He brought them together in a peaceful environment and helped them earn their own living by teaching them various crafts. The Great Sultan donated some of his personal belongings to be used for the initial expenditures of Darülaceze, as cash or as their own. Those belongings that were worth more than seven thousand gold coins were exhibited in a mansion on Istiklal Street and sold later on. This first contribution is a significant event in the history of Darülaceze, and his personal belongings still carry a special mark as a symbol of the contribution. Sultan Abdulhamit also granted ten thousand gold coins from his own budget because he was impatient about the start of construction. With these significant contributions and many other contributions from other people, the institution was founded and the tradition of providing receipts of "donation to Darülaceze" has begun.