It became one of the most significant Greek educational centres in the region of Thrace, attracting teachers from Greece and Western Europe and existed until 1906.

[1][2] The Zariphios was one of the first schools of the Greek diaspora that introduced primary and secondary education for girls.

[2] Zariphios was established in 1875 owing to an initiative of the Greek Education Committee of Thrace and the sponsorship of the banker and benefactor from Constantinople Georgios Zariphis, one of the prominent personalities in the Ottoman capital's business life at the time.

[3] The school soon became a well known educational institution for Greek communities inside and outside the region of Eastern Rumelia (an autonomous province under Ottoman control, established in 1878 and united in 1885 with the Principality of Bulgaria) and Thrace.

Their schools had to close, and the remaining female students of the Zariphios attended the local French college of Saint Augustine.