Liceo Italiano di Istanbul

Under the Ottoman Empire, Genoese, Venetians and Sicilians had permission to trade along the Golden Horn and in Galata, and education for the wealthy was provided by private tutors or foreign schools, while the poor were educated by Catholic religious. In 1861, thanks to the Italian Diplomatic Corps, a night school opened for the Italian community, followed by a nursery and elementary school. The Regia Scuola elementare e media opened in 1885 on Rue de Pologne (now Istiklal Caddesi) and was officially recognized in 1888, serving both Turkish and Italian citizens; 1888 is considered the founding year of Istanbul's first Italian state school. In 1895 the Italian Commercial Institute opened; by 1900 it offered a three-year program with a four-year course, and in 1910 a four-year liceo course was added for Turkish and Italian students, with the Italo-Turkish War interrupting activities in 1911. After WWI, the school moved to its current Tom Tom Kaptan Sokak site in 1919 and later gained official Turkish recognition as Özel Italyan Lisesi; in 1998–1999 a preparatory Italian-language class began and the middle school was gradually phased out, so today IMI includes both a lyceum and a middle school, with the lyceum offering four years in two tracks (scientific and Turkish-mathematics) and a preparatory year, the Turkish-mathematics track having been introduced in 1998.

The Liceo IMI Istanbul hosts cross-cultural programs, including a language and culture exchange called Ponte Culturale tra Sudamerica e Bosforo: Missione Linguistica a Istanbul, held February 1–10, 2026, where a delegation of teachers from South American Italian-language schools visited to strengthen international cooperation and Italian-language knowledge. The mission featured Italian educators from Buenos Aires and Asunción and focused on intercultural dialogue and collaborative practice. The school also runs a traditional ski camp at Sarıkamış, held February 5–10, 2026, with 76 students guided by Turkish and Italian teachers to develop both sport and social skills. In addition, Club IMI 2024 and various travel/exchange programs (Viaggi / Scambi / Campus Estivi) are part of the school's community life, inviting participation from students and families.

The school holds regular parent-teacher meetings (Incontri Scuola-Famiglia / Veli Toplantıları). A dedicated Parents section on the site provides calendars, school hours, communications, and admissions information to keep families informed. The Lavora con noi! page confirms the presence of parent engagement through announcements such as Incontri Scuola-Famiglia / Veli Toplantıları. The Genitori portal further supports family involvement with resources like Cominicazioni, Calendario Scolastico, Orari della scuola and Iscrizioni, as well as information on Scholarships. The site also shows a guest-student program (Uno di Noi) and a Parents area (Veliler) to facilitate ongoing family participation in school life.