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Istanbul University

Turkish: İstanbul Üniversitesi

Former name

Sahn-ı Seman Medresesi
(1453–1846)
Dârülfünûn-ı Şâhâne
(1846–1912)
İstanbul Dârülfünûnu
(1912–1933)

Motto

Turkish: Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü

Motto in English

Science Bridge from Past to the Future

Type

Public research university

Established

May 30, 1453; 572 years ago

Founder

Mehmed II

Budget

$411 million (2025)

Rector

Prof. Dr. Osman Bülent Zülfikar

Academic staff

4,339

Administrative staff

5,885

Students

58,809

Undergraduates

42,066

Postgraduates

16,268

Location

Istanbul

Turkey

41°00′46.93″N 28°57′49.95″E / 41.0130361°N 28.9638750°E

Campus

Urban

University press

Istanbul University Press

Colors

Affiliations

Coimbra Group
EUA
Bologna Process
Erasmus Programme
UNIMED
UNAI
AACSB

Istanbul University is a large public university in Istanbul, Turkey. It was founded a very long time ago, on May 30, 1453, by Mehmed II. This was just one day after the city of Constantinople was conquered.

The university was first set up as an important school for higher learning in the Ottoman Empire. Today, it is known as the first modern university in Turkey. It has many students, with over 58,000 studying different subjects.

The main campus is in the Fatih area of Istanbul, on the European side of the city. It is right next to Beyazıt Square. Many famous people have studied here, including two Nobel Prize winners: Aziz Sancar (for Chemistry) and Orhan Pamuk (for Literature). Several Turkish presidents and prime ministers also attended Istanbul University.

A Look at History
Exploring the Campus
Global Connections and Rankings
Famous People Who Taught Here
- International Teachers
Famous People Who Studied Here
Gallery
See also

A Look at History

The story of Istanbul University began in 1453. Sultan Mehmed II created it as a school for many subjects. These included philosophy, medicine, law, and mathematics.

Before this, there was an older school called the Pandidacterium, founded in 425 CE. After 1453, a monastery was turned into a madrasah, which was an Islamic school. This madrasah was a very early version of what would become Istanbul University.

Famous scholars like Ali Qushji, an astronomer, helped set up higher education here. For centuries, this school helped educate leaders in the Ottoman Empire. It taught subjects like medicine, math, astronomy, history, and law.

Over time, the old madrasah system needed to change. This led to the creation of the Darülfünûn, which means "House of Natural Sciences." This was the start of the modern university.

In 1863, a new higher education school called Darülfünûn-u Osmanî was created. It was later reorganized several times. In 1900, it became the Darülfünûn-u Şahâne, with departments for theology, arts, and sciences.

By 1924, the Republic of Turkey officially recognized the university. Its different schools became modern faculties. On August 1, 1933, the university was fully reorganized and renamed İstanbul Üniversitesi, or Istanbul University. Classes officially began on November 1, 1933.

Before World War II, many German scientists came to Istanbul University. They were escaping difficult times in Germany. These scientists, many of whom were Jewish, helped the university grow and become a center for research.

Faculty members of Istanbul University with Director Kemal Bey and the teaching staff, circa 1915.

The main entrance to Istanbul University, 1950s.

Old Roman and Byzantine ruins at the Istanbul University campus.

Exploring the Campus

Istanbul University has seventeen different faculties spread across five campuses. The main campus is on Beyazıt Square. This square was once a famous public space in the Roman Empire. You can still see some old Roman and Byzantine ruins on the campus grounds.

The main building of the university is very old. It was completed in 1865-1866 and was once the Ottoman Empire's Ministry of War. Inside, there are beautiful rooms like the Blue Hall and Pink Hall, decorated in an old style. The Rector's Office used to be the office of the Minister of War.

The building was damaged in an earthquake in 1894 but was repaired. The main gate of the university is so famous that it was even shown on the back of Turkish 500 lira banknotes from 1971 to 1984.

The university also has a Rare Books Library. This library has about 93,000 old books, manuscripts, and maps. It also holds a special collection of 36,585 photographs from the time of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.

The main entrance gate of Istanbul University on Beyazıt Square.

Inside the main building of Istanbul University.

The famous arched gate of Istanbul University on an old Turkish banknote.

Global Connections and Rankings

University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World	401–500 (2024)
CWUR World	693 (2024)
CWTS World	561 (2024)
QS World	621–630 (2025)
RUR World	244 (2024)
THE World	1001-1200 (2024)
USNWR Global	769 (2024)

Global – Business and economics
QS Business	401-450 (2024)

Global – Liberal arts
QS Arts & Humanities	294 (2024)
QS Social Sciences and Management	331 (2024)

Global – Life sciences and medicine
QS Life Sciences & Medicine	382 (2024)

Global – Science and engineering
QS Engineering & Tech.	451-500 (2024)

National – Overall
ARWU National	1 (2024)
CWTS National	7 (2024)
CWUR National	3 (2024)
QS National	7 (2024)
THE National	12 (2024)
USNWR National	11 (2024)

Istanbul University works with many other universities around the world. For example, its Graduate School of Business was started with help from Harvard Business School. It is the only public university in Turkey with a special business accreditation called AACSB.

The university also has a law program with the University of Hamburg in Germany. This allows students to study law in both Turkey and Germany.

Istanbul University has partnerships with universities in many countries. These include the United States (like Yale University), South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, and Germany. They also work with universities in the United Kingdom and Canada.

The university is part of the Erasmus Programme. This program helps students and teachers from Istanbul University study or work in other European countries. They have agreements with many universities in Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, and more.

Istanbul University also takes part in big research projects. They work with the European Commission and NATO on science and technology. They are even part of the CMS Experiment at CERN, which studies tiny particles.

Prof. Robert Stone from Harvard Business School and others at a conference in Lisbon, April 1959.

Istanbul University Observatory

Famous People Who Taught Here

Many important scholars and thinkers have taught at Istanbul University. Here are a few:

Halide Edib Adıvar – A famous Turkish writer and activist.
Cahit Arf – A brilliant Turkish mathematician.
Halet Çambel – An archaeologist and Olympic fencer.
Mehmet Fuat Köprülü – A Turkish historian and former Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu – A professor of science history and diplomat.
Numan Kurtulmuş – A Turkish politician who is currently the speaker of the Grand National Assembly.

Halide Edib Adıvar, Turkish novelist and intellectual
Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı, Turkish philosopher and politician
Mehmet Fuat Köprülü, Turkish historian and former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Science history professor and diplomat
Halet Çambel, Turkish archaeologist and Olympic fencer
Ahmet Ferit Tek, Turkish military officer and historian
Zeynep Ergun, Turkish English literature scholar

International Teachers

During difficult times, especially before World War II, many talented scientists and scholars from other countries came to teach at Istanbul University. They helped make the university a strong place for learning.