However, there is a consensus that the school started formal education in 1873 in the Fatih district of Istanbul, on the street named after the school, Darüşşafaka Caddesi, and gained its first graduates in 1881. The school moved to its current location in 1994. However, the street still holds the name of Darüşşafaka as the side street in front of the school's gate, Darüşşafaka Ön Sokak (Darüşşafaka Front Street in Turkish) also does.
In any case, it is widely acknowledged that the school began formal instruction in 1873 in the Fatih district of Istanbul on Darüşşafaka Caddesi street and earned its first diplomas in 1881. The school then shifted to its present location in 1994. Interestingly, the side street still bears the name Darüşşafaka.