An orphanage that once housed thousands of boys near Istanbul now looks like something from a horror movie — see inside

Outside Rum Orphanage, Turkey.Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images

• Rum Orphanage is located on Büyükada, an island in the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul, Turkey.
• The orphanage operated from 1903 until 1964.
• The building was abandoned until 2012, when it was announced that it would be restored and turned into an environmental institute.
• The building is believed to be the largest historic wooden building in Europe, bolstering efforts to restore it to its former glory.

Rum Orphanage, also known as the Prinkipo Greek Orphanage, was a Greek Orthodox orphanage. Located on the island of Büyükada near Istanbul, it housed children between 1903 and 1964.

Since it closed more than half a century ago, the orphanage has fallen into a state of disrepair. Both the exterior and interior of the massive building have begun to crumble after years of weathering.

At about 215,000 square feet, the orphanage is believed to be the largest wooden building in Europe, according to the World Monuments Fund. A restoration effort to turn the building into an environmental institute was announced in 2012.

Take a look at the former Rum Orphanage and its complicated history.