Istanbul University (Turkish: İstanbul Üniversitesi), also known as University of Istanbul, is a public research university located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded by Mehmed II on May 30, 1453, a day after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, it was reformed as the first Ottoman higher education institution influenced by European approaches. The successor institution, which has been operating under its current name since 1933, is the first university in modern Turkey.
The university has 58,809 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students studying in 112 academic units, including faculties, institutes, colleges, and vocational schools at 9 campuses. 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 and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Orhan Pamuk, as well as ex President of Turkey Abdullah Gül, six Prime Ministers of Turkey, including Suat Hayri Ürgüplü, Sadi Irmak, Nihat Erim, Refik Saydam, Naim Talu, and Yıldırım Akbulut.
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