Istanbul Kültür University was founded in 1997 by the Kültür Educational Foundation (KEV), one of the oldest private education institutions in our country with a brilliant history and 60 years of experience. 

‘’Öylesine ciddiye alacaksın ki yaşamayı,

Yetmişinde bile, mesela, zeytin dikeceksin,

Hem de öyle çocuklara falan kalır diye değil,

Ölmekten korktuğun halde ölüme inanmadığın için,

Yaşamak yanı ağır bastığından.’’

Nazım Hikmet

These lines greatly resemble the foundation story of our university. Founding Honorary President, Master of Civil Engineering, Fahamettin Akıngüç, laid the foundation when he was 70, when his peers had already been contemplating retirement. For years, he had been striving to grow the crops of an olive tree that he had planted and put them into the market. In fact, the passion for education in the Akıngüç family goes back a long way. The pioneer of educational services in the family, Halil Akıngüç (1900-1957) the father of Mr. Fahamettin, founded Turkey's first private teaching institution, Kültür Dersevi (1932).

Fahamettin Akıngüç, who had worked as a teacher at Kültür Dersevi when he was a student, worked as an engineer and a contractor after graduating from Istanbul Technical University, until he established Kültür College. He synthesized education with engineering, one of the most prestigious professions of his time, and he introduced many innovations that are still implemented at his own schools, at private schools in our country (during his Presidency of the Turkish Private Schools Association) and at the Ministry of National Education.

As a deep-rooted educational institution, our university is a symbol of educational service that has been inherited from generation to generation, as well as an institution that provides education in line with national, universal and contemporary values and international standards. With these qualities, its goal is to be among the leading successful educational institutions, first in Turkey, and then in the European Union countries.

Istanbul Kültür University conducts its academic and scientific activities with a total of 59 departments and programs, in eight faculties, namely Faculty of Science and Letters, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Arts and Design, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Health Sciences, and in two vocational schools , namely Vocational School and Vocational School of Justice. In addition, it provides postgraduate education at 54 Master's and 11 Ph.D. programs within the body of the Institute.

Since it was established, IKU has prepared young people from Turkey and all around the world for life on its campuses in Ataköy, Şirinevler, Basın Ekspres and İncirli.