Primary schools built by Ottoman dynasty members in Istanbul according to foundation charters (XV-XVIII. century)

Primary schools, which the Ottomans inherited from the Seljuks and other Turkish states, constitute the first level of the education system of the Ottoman Empire. The main purpose of the primary schools, which were built by the sultans, other dynasty members, state dignitaries, merchants and philanthropists who enjoyed with the higher economic status, is to teach Muslim children to read the Qur'an. All expenses of the primary school, which is one of the waqf institutions serving for education and training purposes, are covered by the waqf which is affiliated to the school. Primary schools, which had been providing free education services to children since the fifteenth century in the Ottoman Empire, and with this respect revealing the importance of the Ottoman Empire attached the child education, was named "mekâtib-i ibtidaiyye" with the opening of ibtidai schools during the reign of II. Sultan Abdülhamid. Primary schools, which were transferred to the Ministry of Education with the Law of Unification of Education dated March 3, 1924, completely vanished into history with the Law of Education Organization of March 22, 1926.