The university has 58,809 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students[7] studying in 112 academic units,[8] including faculties, institutes, colleges, and vocational schools at 9 campuses.[9] The main campus is adjacent toBeyazıt Square inFatih, the capital district of the province, on theEuropean side of the city.
The origins of Istanbul University date back to 1453,[12][3] when it was founded by Ottoman SultanMehmed II as a school of philosophy, medicine, law and letters.[12] TheUniversity of Constantinople, established in 425 CE by theEastern Roman emperorTheodosius II as thePandidacterium, later became known as thePhanar Greek Orthodox College after theFall of Constantinople in 1453. In the early stages, Istanbul University also functioned as a medrese, an Islamic theological school. This madrasa is regarded as the precursor to theDarülfünûn, a technical institute or university (lit. House of Natural Sciences), which evolved into Istanbul University in 1933.[13] Education in various sciences and fields, includingmedicine,mathematics,astronomy,cartography,geography,history,philosophy,religion,literature,philology, andlaw, became available and, until the 19th century, played a key role in educating the ruling cadres of Ottoman society. However, when the medreses were no longer able to meet the needs of the time, a restructuring process began, leading to the establishment ofDarülfünûn,[note 1] the core of Istanbul University.
Faculty members of Istanbul University with Director Kemal Bey and the teaching staff, circa 1915.The main entrance to Istanbul University, 1950s.LateRoman and earlyByzantine remains at the Istanbul University campus next toBeyazıt Tower.
An institution ofhigher education named theDarülfünûn-u Osmanî (lit. the Ottoman Polytechnic Institute) was created in 1863, but suppressed in 1871.[13] Its first rector wasHasan Tahsini, regarded as one of the most important Ottoman scholars of the 19th century. In 1874 theDarülfünûn-u Sultanî (lit. the Royal College of Natural Sciences,French:Université Impériale Ottoman[18]) began offering law classes inFrench, but was closed in 1881.[13]
The Imperial College of Sciences, later known asDarülfünûn-u Şahâne, was reestablished in 1900 with departments in theology, arts, mathematics, science, and philology.[13] In 1924, thefaculties of law, medicine, arts and sciences were established inİstanbul Darülfünûnu, as the university was now called.[13] Islamic theology was added in 1925, but in 1933 the university was reorganized without the latter.[13]
The first modernapplied physics courses were offered at the Darülfünûn on 31 December 1863, marking the beginning of a new era. On 20 February 1870, the school was renamedDarülfünûn-u Osmanî (lit. the Ottoman House of Multiple Sciences) and reorganized to meet the needs of modern sciences and technologies. Starting in 1874, some classes in literature, law, and applied sciences were held at theLycée de Galatasaray, continuing regularly until 1881. On 1 September 1900, the school was renamed and reorganized as Darülfünûn-u Şahâne (lit. the Royal Polytechnic Institute), offering courses in mathematics, literature, and theology. On 20 April 1912, the school was renamed İstanbul Darülfünûnu, with an expanded course offering and a modernized curriculum. The School of Medicine, Law, Applied Sciences, Literature, and Theology were established.
On 21 April 1924, theRepublic of Turkey recognizedİstanbul Darülfünûnu as a state institution. On 7 October 1925, its administrative autonomy was established, and the schools, which had been part of the oldmedrese system, became modern faculties. TheDarülfünûn then consisted of five faculties: medicine, law, letters, theology, and science. The professors were granted academic freedom as outlined in Article 2 of Law 493.[19] On 1 August 1933,İstanbul Darülfünûnu was reorganized asİstanbul Üniversitesi (lit. Istanbul University)[20] following theeducational reforms ofMustafa Kemal Atatürk. Classes officially began on 1 November 1933.
BeforeWorld War II, many German scientists, particularly those from fields such as medicine, natural sciences, and humanities, were forced to flee Germany due to pressure on anti-Nazi scholars and artists, many of whom were ofJewish origin. A significant number of these emigrants found refuge at Istanbul University, where they contributed to the growth of academic programs and research, enhancing the university's intellectual environment and fostering scientific efforts in Turkey.[21]
Main entrance gate of Istanbul University onBeyazıt Square, which was known asForum Tauri (laterForum of Theodosius) in the lateRoman period.Beyazıt Tower, located within the campus, is seen in the background, to the right of the flagpole.Interior view of the main building of Istanbul University.Thearched monumental gate of Istanbul University on the reverse of the 500 lira banknote (1971–1984).
The building stands on the site of theOld Palace, the first palace built by the Ottoman Turks in Istanbul.[22] Following the establishment of the Republic in 1923, the Ministry of War, like other ministries, relocated to Ankara, and the building was handed over to Darülfünun, the first and only university of the Ottoman Empire.[citation needed]
The current main building, designed by French architect Bourgerois, was completed in 1865-1866. In 1879, it began serving as the Ottoman Empire's Ministry of War. The Blue Hall and Pink Hall, located on the building's second floor, are adorned in anorientalist decorative style, featuring ceiling and wall ornamentations that reflect the overall aesthetic of the structure. The room currently used as the Rector's Office was originally the office of the Minister of War during the Ottoman Empire. The office also contains the desk ofEnver Pasha, who served as the Minister of War from 1914 to 1918. The "Kılıçlık Hall," which is used for academic meetings today, was originally the venue for sword-donning ceremonies for officers within the Ministry of War during the Ottoman Empire. Before holding meetings in the Kılıçlık Hall, officers would use the area on the right side of the hall to place their swords, hang their coats, and perform ablutions.[citation needed]
The building, which was damaged in an earthquake in 1894, was restored by Italian architectRaimondo D’Aronco.[22] In 1950, it was again restored by Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi. The Rectorate Building has undergone several renovations over the years, with the most recent restoration, including façade and marble cleaning, taking place in 1998. The main gate was depicted on thereverse of the Turkish 500lira banknotes of 1971–1984.[23]
The building housing the Rare Books Library, designed byKemaleddin Bey in 1913, is home to a collection of approximately 93,000 volumes, including printed and manuscript books, journals, newspapers, maps, plans, and notes inTurkish,Arabic,Persian,Greek andLatin.[24] The collection also includes 911 albums known as theAbdülhamid II Collection, which contain 36,585 photographs. Additionally, the library holds the collections of prominent figures in Turkish politics and intellectual history, such as Zakirbaşı Hüseyin Halis Efendi,Hasan Rıza Pasha,Grand Vizierİbrahim Hakkı Pasha,Sheikh-ul-Islam Pirizade Mehmet Sahip Molla, and İbnülemin Mahmut Kemal İnal. In 1925, the collection of theYıldız Palace Library was transferred to the Rare Books Library.[24]
Istanbul University Graduate School of Business (Turkish:İstanbul Üniversitesi İşletme İktisadı Enstitüsü) was founded in 1954 with the collaboration ofHarvard Business School and theFord Foundation.[43][44] Istanbul University Graduate School of Business also has aBeta Gamma Sigmahonor society, which is the only honor business society in public universities in Turkey.[45][46] Istanbul University School of Business is the onlyAACSB-accredited business school among the public universities in Turkey.[47] Istanbul University Law School conducts a jointbachelor of laws (LL.B.) program in partnership with theUniversity of Hamburg. This program enables students to study in both Turkey and Germany, covering multiple legal systems with coursework focused on both domestic and international law.[48]
The university actively participates in research and innovation programs supported by theEuropean Commission[51] andHorizon Europe,[52] which provide funding for cutting-edge research across various fields. These partnerships enable Istanbul University to contribute to and benefit from large-scale research projects that foster scientific progress and innovation. Additionally, the university collaborates withNATO[53] in research initiatives related to security, technology, and scientific advancement, benefiting from access to valuable resources and expertise in areas of mutual interest. Istanbul University is also an official member of theCMS Experiment atCERN,[54] a collaboration that focuses on high-energy physics research and the study of fundamental particles.
^"Three Great Moslem Universities".St. Louis Globe-Democrat.St. Louis. 3 September 1933. p. 2D – viaNewspapers.com.[...]in founding the University of Constantinople under Turkish government aid and initiative. The University of Stamboul, called the Dar-ul-funun,[...]
^Bonafous, M (October 1927). "Le suicide a Constantinople".Revue Turquie d'Anthropologie (in French).3 (5). Institut Turc d'Anthropologie:22-. - Cited: page 22 (page 71/103 of the collection) -Index of pagesArchived 24 November 2021 at theWayback Machine
^Studies (CWTS), Centre for Science and Technology."CWTS Leiden Ranking".CWTS Leiden Ranking.Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved11 November 2024.
^"World University Rankings".Times Higher Education (THE). 11 November 2024.Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved11 November 2024.
^Bushinsky, Jay (2 December 1973). "Jewish State in the Land of Israel Was Life Goal Ben-Gurion Realized".The Miami Herald.Miami. p. 14-B – viaNewspapers.com.[...]Ben-Gurion studied law at the University of Constantinople[...]
^Some pre-1930 Western sources refer to the Darülfünûn as theUniversity of Constantinople, after the previous name of the entire city (not to be confused with theByzantine eraUniversity of Constantinople, which was founded in 425 AD by the East Roman emperorTheodosius II as thePandidacterium and was by some accounts the world's first university),[14] orUniversity of Stamboul[15][16] orUniversité de Stamboul ("Stamboul" the name for the historic inner city).[17]
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