The oldest university in Turkey, Istanbul University’s (Turkish: İstanbul Üniversitesi) history dates back to the Sahn-ı Seman Madrassa, which was opened by order of Mehmed the Conqueror in 1453. The madrassa was later taken over by an educational foundation and operated under the name of the Darülfünün, and became the first university to offer modern education on the European model in the Ottoman Empire.

The university continued to function after the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey. Over the course of 1933, it was reorganized and on the 18th of November of that year officially reopened as the first and only university in the country.

Listed as one of the 500 best universities in the world since 2006, Istanbul University is home to around 73,000 undergraduate, graduate and preparatory students and around 12,000 faculty.

With its center building in Bayazıt, the university has branches in Avcılar, Bahçeköy, Bakırköy, Büyükçekmece, Cerrahpaşa, Çapa, Horhor, Kadıköy, Laleli, Şişli, Vefa and Vezneciler.