Living İstanbul
Brief History of Türkiye & İstanbul
Welcome to Türkiye! What do you know about Türkiye?
- The Turkish War of Independence in 1919-1922 initiated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades in Anatolia, resulted in the establishment of the modern Republic of Türkiye in 1923, with Atatürk as its first president.
- Türkiye -in Turkish it is Türkiye- is officially called the Republic of Türkiye. Its population is approximately 80 million, of which 15 million of total living in Istanbul.
- The official language is Turkish, and %80 of Turkish citizens speak Turkish.
- Türkiye is a presidential republic which is located between Europe and Asia.
- Türkiye’s capital city is Ankara, and its largest city is Istanbul.
- Türkiye is a democratic and secular country with a rich cultural heritage.
Do you want to see how rich Turkish cuisine is? Let’s take a look: http://www.turkish-cuisine.org/
Exploring and Adopting Surroundings
As a new person to Istanbul and KU, you should take your time exploring the culture, environment, and customs.
Our International Community Services Office (ICO) is here to help you with your transition process to your new “home.”
Below you can find related ICO resources. For more, please visit ICO’s website.
Arriving in Istanbul & Transportation
School Location
Koc University is located in the hills of Sarıyer, Istanbul, and is twenty minutes from the Black Sea beaches, surrounded by charming villages and natural landscapes, and connected to the city center through a plethora of convenient transportation options. Koç University has three other campus locations: West Campus, RCAC Beyoğlu, and İstinye Campus.
Main Campus Address: Rumelifeneri Yolu 34450 Sarıyer Istanbul Türkiye
West Campus Address: Koç Üniversitesi, Batı Yurdu, Kampus Yolu No.1 – 34450 Sarıyer/Istanbul
İstinye Campus Address: Koç Üniversitesi, İstinye Kampüs, Çayır Caddesi No: 65 34460, İstinye / İstanbul
Tel: +90 212 338 1000
Airport Transportation
Just landed in Istanbul! Congratulations, you’ve made it to the airport in İstanbul. If you are planning to make your own way, here are some tips for smooth transportation to Koç University from İstanbul Airport and Sabiha Gökçen Airport.
There are two airports in Istanbul: Istanbul Atatürk Airport on the European side and Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asian side.
For directions from those airports to KU and tips, please visit the website of our International Comunity Services Office.
ISTANBULKART
Istanbul has an excellent transportation system utilizing almost all the known forms of public transit. Within the city limits, one can ride on buses, metrobuses, minibusses, shared taxis (dolmuş), subway trains, trams, funiculars, ferries, sea-buses, and sea taxis.
Most of these are linked to one another; and you can use almost all of them (exceptions are minibusses, Taxi Dolmuş, sea-taxis) by one single payment system called ISTANBULKART (transit card). It is also possible to buy tokens near the tram stops, ferry, metro, and metrobus entrances.
Shuttle: Koç University provides a shuttle service for the personnel and students of the university. Shuttle buses between Koç University Main and West campuses run every hour during the daytime, and in the morning buses leave once they are fully occupied. This service is free of charge. Moreover, there are shuttles to several central points in Istanbul’s downtown, such as Sarıyer, Hacıosman, Beşiktaş, and Taksim. The fare for the service is calculated depending on the distance from Koç University.
Metro: The easiest way to get to Koç University with public transit is by using the metro line M2 (Yenikapı – Hacıosman). Go to Hacıosman (last station), then take a bus:
154 Hacıosman – Koç University
150 Hacıosman – Rumeli Feneri (goes until the Koç University front gate)
You can also take a bus from Hacıosman to Sarıyer – 151, 152, 25Y. Next, take a minibus going to Koç University from Sarıyer (Sular Caddesi bus stop in front of the shop).
You can check all metro lines’ timetables at https://www.metro.istanbul/en/
Ferry: There is a boat to/from Beşiktaş and Kadıköy operating once a day on weekdays. It departs from the Sarıyer port. You can check ferry’s timetable at http://en.sehirhatlari.istanbul/en.
Bus: You can use numerous buses to get to Sarıyer and then a minibus, or take either 154 or 150 to get to Koç University directly.
Bus number 154 enters the campus, and it is the last stop on this route. Bus number 150 passes by the gate of the campus. From the gate, you can jump in any bus or minibus for free and have access to the main area on campus.
You can use the following buses to get to Sarıyer:
- Buses 25T and 40 going to/from Taksim
- Buses 25E and 40B going to/from Beşiktaş/Kabataş
- Night bus to/from Taksim 25G
The bus schedule may be changed due to seasons by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Hence, you need to check timetables’ of buses at https://iett.istanbul/en
Other Transportation Options in Istanbul
Minibus: Minibuses operate all over the city. They have specific routes but you can hop on and hop off a minibus anywhere on its way, you just have to say “inecek var” or “müsait bir yerde” (meaning that you want to get out).
Minibusses do not have tickets; you simply pay cash to the driver depending on the length of your journey. If you tell the driver your destination, the driver will tell you the fee. To get to Koç University, you can use a minibus departing from Sarıyer (Sular caddesi bus stop).
Taxi Dolmuş: This is another convenient, quick, and useful means of transportation. Taxi Dolmuş drives day and night on pre-determined routes, but without set stops. Taxi Dolmuş transports only seated passengers, and once full does not stop to pick up more people. The rates vary from 5₺ to 15₺ depending on your route. This is the fastest means of public transportation in Istanbul and is accessible for a cheap price.
Community Events and News Outlets
You can follow Türkiye’s headlines at:
For more, please see ICO’s Newcomers’ Guide.