Bizans ve Osmanlı geleneklerinin birlikte incelenebileceği görüşünde olan Alman hukuk tarihçisi Richard Honig, İstanbul Üniversitesi tarihinin 1 Mart 1321'e kadar uzandığını ifade etmektedir. Bugünkü Merkez Bina'nın bulunduğu tepede kurulan, Roma üniversiteleriyle eşdeğer olan, tıp, hukuk, felsefe ve edebiyat fakültel
erinden oluşan bu üniversite, aslında İstanbul'da üniversite eğitiminin başlangıcı sayılmaktadır.
Türk araştırmacılar ise İstanbul Üniversitesi'nin köklerini 1453'e götürmektedir. Gerçekten, fetihin ertesi günü 30 Mayıs 1453'te Ayasofya ve Zeyrek'te yapılan bilimsel toplantılar, Türk-Osmanlı bilim yaşamının ilk günü ve takiben bir külliyenin kurulmasının başlangıcı kabul edilmektedir. Nitekim, Sıddık Sami Onar, "Türklerin İstanbul'da bir üniversite bulamadıklarına ve kendi uygarlıklarını yerleştirdikleri bu kentte kendi tarzlarında kurdukları" üniversite eğitimine dikkatleri çekmektedir. Yine, Cemil Bilsel, tıp, hukuk, fen ve edebiyat fakültele
rinin ve İstanbul Üniversitesi'nin ilk başlangıç noktasının 1470 yılında kurulan Fatih Külliyesi olduğunu vurgulamaktadır. Bu arada, Sovyet tıp bilgini Danişefski, Dünya'nın en eski tıp fakültesinin İstanbul'da olduğunu belirtmektedir.
It was founded as an institution of higher education named the Darülfünun ('House of Multiple Sciences') on 23 July 1846; but the Medrese ('School of theological and environmental sciences'), which was founded immediately after Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, is regarded as the precursor to the Darülfünun which evolved into Istanbul University. The university celebrated its 550th anniversary in 2003.[1]
German historian Richard Honig believes that the history of the Medrese which first evolved into the Darülfünun and later became Istanbul University actually started on 1 March 1321, during the reign of Osman I in Bithynia, the cradle of the Ottoman State.[2]
The first modern Applied Physics courses were given at the Darülfünun on 31 December 1863, which marked the beginning of a new period, and on 20 February 1870, the school was renamed as the Darülfünun-u Osmani ('Ottoman House of Multiple Sciences') and reorganized to meet the needs of modern sciences and technologies. Starting from 1874, some classes of Literature, Law and Applied Sciences were given at the building of Galatasaray Lisesi, which continued regularly until 1881. On 1 September 1900, the school was renamed and reorganized as the Darülfünun-u Şahane ('Imperial House of Multiple Sciences') with courses on Mathematics, Literature and Theology. On 20 April 1912, the school was renamed as the İstanbul Darülfünunu ('Istanbul House of Multiple Sciences') while the number of courses were increased and the curricula were modernized with the establishment of the Schools of Medicine, Law, Applied Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics), Literature and Theology.
On 21 April 1924, the Republic of Turkey recognized the Istanbul Darülfünunu as a state school, and on 7 October 1925, the administrative autonomy of Istanbul Darülfünunu was recognized while the "Schools" (within the old Medrese system) became modern "Faculties". On 1 August 1933, Istanbul Darülfünunu was reorganized as Istanbul University (İstanbul Üniversitesi) following the educational reforms of Atatürk. Classes officially began on 1 November 1933.
Istanbul University
İstanbul Üniversitesi
Darülfünûn-ı Şahane
Darülfünûn-u Osmanî