Taş Mektep (Misaki Milli Primary School)
Taş Mektep (“Stone School”) is a historic school building in the Meydan neighbourhood of İskilip, Çorum, officially known as Misaki Milli Primary School. According to the official source of the Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the building was constructed in 1922.
The same nickname, “Taş Mektep,” is also popularly used for the Sinan Paşa Sıbyan Mektebi in Çorum’s Kargı district. The two buildings are unrelated: the Sinan Paşa Sıbyan Mektebi in Kargı was built during the reign of Bayezid II (1506–1507) as part of an Ottoman religious-charitable complex (külliye), while the Taş Mektep in İskilip is an early-Republican-era primary school building from 1922.
Architecture
The building has a rectangular plan and, excluding the basement, is two storeys high. Cut stone was used for the door and window frames and for the string courses and eave mouldings on the façades, while the rest of the building was built with mortared rubble stone.
Heritage Status and Restoration
According to the Çorum Special Provincial Administration’s 2024 Annual Activity Report, Taş Mektep (Misaki Milli Primary School) is a registered heritage building whose survey (rölöve), restitution, restoration, construction, electrical and mechanical engineering works are being coordinated by the Special Provincial Administration together with those of the nearby registered Sakarya Primary School.
Location
The building stands in İskilip’s Meydan neighbourhood, close to Sakarya Primary School. For the district’s general history, see History of İskilip.