Les établissements d’enseignement français et l’enseignement du français à Bursa dans la dernière période de l’Empire ottoman

This study focuses on the French schools established in Bursa and French education in these schools, which occupied an important place in Ottoman educational life in the nineteenth century. In the liberal environment that came into existence following the Tanzimat Edict of 1839, foreigners were allowed to open schools in Ottoman territory. Thus, just as Greeks, Armenians and Bulgarians (i.e. Ottoman Christians) began to open schools in their communities, ecclesiastical circles from America, England, France, Germany and Austria, in order to propagate Catholicism or Protestant among other goals, also took advantage of this opportunity. During the reign of Abdulhamid II, they greatly intensified their educational activities. In addition to increasing the number of schools, the missionaries made efforts to convince the Ottoman people. These foreign institutions, although not allowed to admit Ottoman Muslim students, tried to attract Muslim students nevertheless. Some of these schools, which continue their missionary activities, are fee-paying and students receive music and craft lessons as well as theoretical lessons. One of the countries that opened schools in the Ottoman Empire was France. The French educational initiative in Bursa, the former Ottoman capital of late medieval times, likewise began in the nineteenth century and was led by missionaries. The French set up both religious and secular schools in Bursa, where their education effort continued for a considerable time. These schools paid particular attention to teaching the French language. Classes were taught with applied methods and French instruction mainly focused on the style of speech, writing, and business correspondence.