Faneromeni Girls’ School

The Faneromeni Girls’ School is one of the most imposing neoclassical buildings in Nicosia and at the same time one of the many cultural attractions in the old town, opposite the church of Faneromeni of Nicosia and very close to the Stavros (Cross) of Misirikou.

The Faneromeni Girls’ School is now part of the most historic buildings of the capital of Cyprus, just a few meters from the green line, and is the ideal destination for walking around the historical center with its shops, cafes, taverns and squares that are bustling with life. The grandiose neoclassical building acquired the emblematic façade with the Ionian columns in 1925 at the expense of the church.

Its great history began in 1852 when it was founded as a school for boys, but in 1859 Faneromeni was converted into a school for girls by Archbishop of Cyprus Makarios A ‘. In the early years of its operation, it had only one teacher who used the inter-teaching (when students of older classes taught the younger ones) method to serve all students. In 1903, the Faneromeni Teachers’ School for women begun its operation, which was the 1st institution for female teachers in Cyprus. From the school year 1933-34, it operated as a secondary school and two years later, it was an annex to the Pancyprian Gymnasium, where only female students attended.

Following the proclamation of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960, it ceased functioning as a branch of the Pancyprian Gymnasium and was recognized as an independent six-grade secondary school. Indeed, it was recognized not only by the Cypriot ministry of Education but also by the Ministry of Education of Greece as being equivalent to the Greek public high schools.

After the Turkish invasion of 1974, the Faneromeni Girls’ School or then known as the Pancyprian Gymnasium for Girls of Faneromeni, was transferred to the Cyprus Pedagogical Academy. After a year it re-opened with a new name, as the Mixed Gymnasium of Faneromeni. Thus, under the name “Faneromeni” there were two schools, one at the Pedagogical Academy of Cyprus and the other in this beautiful building. However, the short distance from the green line contributed to the removal of many residents from the region, change the composition of the population and reduce the number of students attending school.