Al-Furat School (or The Euphrates School)

A secondary school in the city of Deir ez-Zor, built in 1910, and considered one of the oldest schools in the eastern region of Syria. The Euphrates Secondary School is recognized as the oldest educational institution in eastern Syria and among the oldest in the country. Its construction is regarded as one of the earliest buildings in Deir ez-Zor, initiated at the request of the governor Muhammad Rashid Pasha during the late reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Upon its inauguration, it was named the Sultan’s Office, with Turkish being the primary language of instruction alongside Arabic, as well as two secondary languages: French and English. The teaching staff included several Turkish instructors in addition to local residents.

During the French occupation, the curriculum was altered to align with the French educational system, encompassing both preparatory and secondary stages, and it was renamed Euphrates Secondary School. The school became a constant venue for protests and political struggles and is still regarded as the premier educational institution in the province to this day.

The Amir of Education for the Deir ez-Zor district, Moharram Effendi, selected the school’s location on the western edge of the city, specifically in the southwestern area of the Rashidiya neighborhood. Construction began, establishing it as the first of its kind in eastern Syria, taking approximately two and a half years to complete. In 1920, the first phase of expansion commenced, concluding in 1924, followed by a second phase starting in 1940. The building, which still stands today, was designed to resemble the Arabic numeral forty, in reference to the year of its expansion.

In 2007, several restoration and maintenance projects were carried out on the school, leading to its inclusion by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums as part of the heritage buildings.