Galatasaray University

Galatasaray University

latasaray University or Université Galatasaray (Turkish: Galatasaray Üniversitesi) is a Turkish university established in İstanbul, Turkey in 1992. On January 22, 2013, Feriye Saraylari, which was one of the university's historic buildings on the bosphorus, was destroyed by fire. The building mainly housed offices of the faculty and various administrative offices. The historic building was commissioned by Sultan Abdulaziz in 1871 and it was turned over to Galatasaray University in 1992. The fire started on the third floor of the building and destroyed the historic landmark in a matter of hours. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced that the building would be restored to its previous state.

The university was established following an agreement signed with the presence of President François Mitterrand of France and President Turgut Özal of Turkey during a ceremony at Galatasaray High School, the mother school of the university. Turkey's Ambassador to France, Coşkun Kırca, played an important role in organizing the agreement. Galatasaray University is one of the most important members of the Galatasaray Community as Galatasaray High School and Galatasaray Sports Club.

Galatasaray University is the only Francophone University in Turkey. The establishment has 5 faculties (Economic and Administrative Sciences, Law, Communications, Natural Sciences and Literature, Engineering and Technology), 2 institutes (Social Sciences, Applied Sciences), 200 teachers and 2500 students.

As a participant in the European exchange programs Erasmus and Socrates, Galatasaray University accommodates around 50 European students. Meanwhile, 100 students of Galatasaray University travel each year to France within the framework of these exchange programs.

In essence, Galatasaray University represents a secular tradition of teaching. Courses at Galatasaray University are tri-lingual: in Turkish, French and English. Apart from French which is the primary foreign language, fluency in English as the secondary foreign language is also required. For the Faculty of Engineering, the preparatory period includes only one year of linguistic training.

Galatasaray University is located at Ortaköy within the borough of Beşiktaş, a populated central district on the European side of İstanbul. The building which accommodates Galatasaray University was originally the Feriye Palace, a coastal summer palace on the Bosphorus built in 1871.

Galatasaray University is heir to the centuries-old traditions of Galatasaray High School which was established in 1481 as the Galata Sarayı Enderun-u Hümayunu (Galata Palace Imperial School).