Located across several continents, including Eurasia, the Middle East, Western Asia, the Balkan Peninsula and Southeast Europe, Turkey is home to over 80.8 million people. It shares land borders with 8 countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Nakhchivan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. It also sits on three different seas, the Aegean Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Turkey has a long and complicated history, with many invasions and occupations over the years. Turkey continues to experience turbulence in the political world, but is still a great choice for any student. The culture is especially diverse, with the country opening up to the western world, but maintaining its traditional values. You will also see influences from the Anatolian and Ottoman cultures in Turkey.

The largest city in Turkey, Istanbul is home to over 15 million people. Throughout history, it has been known as Byzantium and Constantinople. Due to its location on the historically famous Silk Road and only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, Istanbul has always been an important industrial city, as well as attracting a cosmopolitan population. The historic city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its cultural hub is found in the Golden Horn harbour area.

There are several higher education institutions in Istanbul, both public and private. Istanbul University is the oldest institution in the city, and was founded in 1453. Almost 100,000 students enrol each year at this public university. Also located in the city is Istanbul Technical University, which is the world’s third oldest university specialising in engineering sciences.