Terra Santa Schools

The school of Terra Santa is one of the two ethnic schools of the Maronite Community. It has its origins in 1641 when a team of Franciscan monks decided to establish a school aiming to the promotion of diligence and virtue. The school operated under the name of Terra Santa (School of the Holy Land) in 1646 under the responsibility and protection of the Order of Franciscan monks which has its base in Jerusalem. In the difficult years of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus the school offered Elementary education. In 1936 it came in the hands of the British and in 1947 came back under the control of the Franciscan monks and changed its name to Terra Santa College. Previously the school operated in the Paphos Gate area whereas from 1955 the school moved to the whole owned new building in the Acropolis area of Nicosia. Since 1913 the school programmes were extended also to the secondary education. Since 1970 a nursery is also operating.

On 28th January 2013 a cooperation agreement was signed between the University of Cyprus and the Terra Santa College confirming that the College will operate as a model University of Cyprus High School.

The school hosted students from all the Maronite villages, especially from Kormakitis, since the Franciscan nuns who maintain a monastery in Kormakitis had direct involvement with the school. Until today the Terra Santa School continues to be the centre of education for many Maronite boys and girls. Today the school is divided into three sections: Nursery, Elementary, Gymnasium and Lyceum.

our college has implemented diverse programmes such as voluntary work, the national health accreditation programme and others which aim at developing a humanitarian and spiritual sensibility among our students which ensures openness to other cultures, and a stronger belief in the values of cooperation, solidarity, brotherhood, and love amongst mankind.

Nowadays, among more than 600 private schools in Amman, our college is exerting the utmost efforts, supported by the custody of the Holy Land and in cooperation with the whole team of our school, to establish within the proper vision the best reputation in our society, in addition to a construction of the new building in order to reinvigerate the International educational programme ( I.G.C.S.E ), and offering a distinctive service to our students based on belief that human being is a unique valuable asset. We are proud to serve this mission based on the Christian- Franciscan spirit.