The Ottoman period in Cyprus was during 1571 – 1878. During the last decades of the Ottoman period in Cyprus, primary education began to develop in the Orthodox community of the island. Faneromeni School was founded in this context, which was the first primary school for girls in Cyprus. The school was intended for the daughters of the wealthy families of the Greek Cypriot community and was founded on the initiative of Archbishop Makarios I in 1859.

The general situation for Girls Schools in Cyprus was as follows: In Limassol, the first Girls School was founded in 1911, the second in 1923, and the third in 1938. In Larnaka, the Girls School – Parthenagogio Skalas and Evryviadion Girls School – Parthenagogio Evryviadion were merged in 1906 and separated again in 1929. In Pafos, a Girls School was established in 1880. In Famagusta, a Girls School was established in 1887 and in 1926 it was divided into two schools, the second of which operated until 1941. In Kyrenia, the Girls School was opened in 1887 (Michailidou 2017).

Regarding Faneromeni School, during its first year 35 female students were studying in all six classes of the school. Twenty years later, in 1880, the School had 152 female students and it was the only school for female students in Nicosia. During its first years the classes were reading, writing, mathematics, religion classes, Greek history classes and handcraft classes. Female students learned the values that a girl should follow in order to compromise with society’s values. Such values were modesty, care, diligence and obedience.

Back at that time, women were considered ashamed to work. Because of that, the school committee used to give scholarships to girls with fewer opportunities and from poor villages. In this way, they gave them the opportunity to be educated in order to become teachers.

Inside Faneromeni School the first higher institution for female teachers was established back in 1903. Female teachers used to be paid less than male teachers and also, married female teachers weren’t allowed to work and they were obligated to stop working as teachers when they were planning to get married.

The Higher institution was shut down in 1937 and the building was a part of the Pancyprian Highschool institute which welcomed only female students. In 1975, was the only year that the school was a mixed-gender school. Back then, directress and female teachers of Faneromeni School, had a crucial involvement in the development of women’s associations. One example was Theano Parouti – Liasidou, who was a directress of the School from 1887 until 1901. Later she quitted because she was about to get married, and Eleni Christou was placed as a directress of the school. Some years later, in 1914, they managed to create a women’s association in Nicosia.

In recent years Faneromeni school had a kindergarten, primary school, and high school. Now, it works as a department of the School of Architecture of the University of Cyprus.