Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks,[3] it was reformed as the first Ottoman higher education institution influenced by European approaches.

[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.

Istanbul University alumni include Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner Aziz Sancar[11] and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Orhan Pamuk,[12] as well as President of Turkey Abdullah Gül, six Prime Ministers of Turkey, including Suat Hayri Ürgüplü, Sadi Irmak, Nihat Erim, Refik Saydam, Naim Talu, Yıldırım Akbulut, and the current mayor of Istanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu.

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.

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.

[14] In 1924, the faculties of law, medicine, arts and sciences were established in İstanbul Darülfünûnu, as the university was now called.

Starting in 1874, some classes in literature, law, and applied sciences were held at the Lycée de Galatasaray, continuing regularly until 1881.

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.

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.

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.

The Rectorate Building has undergone several renovations over the years, with the most recent restoration, including façade and marble cleaning, taking place in 1998.

[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.

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 Vizier İbrahim Hakkı Pasha, Sheikh-ul-Islam Pirizade Mehmet Sahip Molla, and İbnülemin Mahmut Kemal İnal.

This program enables students to study in both Turkey and Germany, covering multiple legal systems with coursework focused on both domestic and international law.

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.