Istanbul University is consistently ranked first in Turkey and among the top 500 universities in the world according to the recently published Shanghai Ranking.[7] At present, there are 58,809 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students[8] studying in 112 academic units,[9] including faculties, institutes, colleges, and vocational schools at 9 campuses.[10] The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square in Fatih, the capital district of the province, on the European side of the city.
The origins of Istanbul University date back to 1453,[13][3] when it was founded by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II as a school of philosophy, medicine, law and letters.[13] The University of Constantinople, established in 425 CE by the Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius II as the Pandidacterium, later became known as the Phanar Greek Orthodox College after the Fall 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 the Darülfünûn, a technical institute or university (lit. House of Natural Sciences), which evolved into Istanbul University in 1933.[14] Education in various sciences and fields, including medicine, mathematics, astronomy, cartography, geography, history, philosophy, religion, literature, philology, and law, 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 of Darülfünûn,[note 1] the core of Istanbul University.
An institution of higher education named the Darülfünûn-u Osmanî (lit. the Ottoman Polytechnic Institute) was created in 1863, but suppressed in 1871.[14] Its first rector was Hasan Tahsini, regarded as one of the most important Ottoman scholars of the 19th century. In 1874 the Darülfünûn-u Sultanî (lit. the Royal College of Natural Sciences, French: Université Impériale Ottoman[19]) began offering law classes in French, but was closed in 1881.[14]
The Imperial College of Sciences, later known as Darülfünûn-u Şahâne, was reestablished in 1900 with departments in theology, arts, mathematics, science, and philology.[14] In 1924, the faculties of law, medicine, arts and sciences were established in İstanbul Darülfünûnu, as the university was now called.[14] Islamic theology was added in 1925, but in 1933 the university was reorganized without the latter.[14]
The first modern applied 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 renamed Darülfünûn-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 the Lycée 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, the Republic of Turkey recognized İstanbul Darülfünûnu as a state institution. On 7 October 1925, its administrative autonomy was established, and the schools, which had been part of the old medrese system, became modern faculties. The Darülfünûn 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.[20] On 1 August 1933, İstanbul Darülfünûnu was reorganized as İstanbul Üniversitesi (lit. Istanbul University)[21] following the educational reforms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Classes officially began on 1 November 1933.
Before World 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 of Jewish 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.[22]
The building stands on the site of the Old Palace, the first palace built by the Ottoman Turks in Istanbul.[23] Completed in 1458, the original wooden structure of the Old Palace included the harem quarters and various pavilions. Mehmed II resided there before moving to the newly constructed Topkapı Palace. Even after the royal family relocated, the Old Palace retained its significance, serving as a residence for the families of deceased sultans.
After the disbandment of the Janissary Corps in 1826, the Old Palace was assigned to the Bab-ı Seraskeri, the new military force of the Ottoman Empire. From this point on, the building was referred to as the Serasker Gate. The original wooden Serasker Gate building was demolished in 1864. The building began to serve as the Ottoman Ministry of War, in 1879. 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. Located on the grounds is the Beyazıt Tower, an 85 m (279 ft) tall fire-watch tower.
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 an orientalist 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 of Enver 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.
The building, which was damaged in an earthquake in 1894, was restored by Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco.[23] 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 the reverse of the Turkish 500 lira banknotes of 1971–1984.[24]
The building housing the Rare Books Library, designed by Kemaleddin Bey in 1913, is home to a collection of approximately 93,000 volumes, including printed and manuscript books, journals, newspapers, maps, plans, and notes in Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Greek and Latin.[25] The collection also includes 911 albums known as the Abdülhamid 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 the Yıldız Palace Library was transferred to the Rare Books Library.[25]
Istanbul University Graduate School of Business (Turkish: İstanbul Üniversitesi İşletme İktisadı Enstitüsü) was founded in 1954 with the collaboration of Harvard Business School and the Ford Foundation.[44][45] Istanbul University Graduate School of Business also has a Beta Gamma Sigmahonor society, which is the only honor business society in public universities in Turkey.[46][47] Istanbul University School of Business is the only AACSB-accredited business school among the public universities in Turkey.[48] Istanbul University Law School conducts a joint bachelor of laws (LL.B.) program in partnership with the University 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.[49]
The university actively participates in research and innovation programs supported by the European Commission[52] and Horizon Europe,[53] 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 with NATO[54] 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 the CMS Experiment at CERN,[55] a collaboration that focuses on high-energy physics research and the study of fundamental particles.
^"Old Schools Scrapped in Turkey". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore. 1 October 1933. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com. "[...]University of Stamboul, known as the Dar-ul-funun,[...]
^"Three Great Moslem Universities". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis. 3 September 1933. p. 2D – via Newspapers.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 the Wayback Machine
^Studies (CWTS), Centre for Science and Technology. "CWTS Leiden Ranking". CWTS Leiden Ranking. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
^"World University Rankings". Times Higher Education (THE). 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 11 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 – via Newspapers.com. [...]Ben-Gurion studied law at the University of Constantinople[...]
^Some pre-1930 Western sources refer to the Darülfünûn as the University of Constantinople, after the previous name of the entire city (not to be confused with the Byzantine era University of Constantinople, which was founded in 425 AD by the East Roman emperor Theodosius II as the Pandidacterium and was by some accounts the world's first university),[15] or University of Stamboul[16][17] or Université de Stamboul ("Stamboul" the name for the historic inner city).[18]