Marmara University (Turkish: Marmara Üniversitesi) is a public research university in Istanbul, Turkey. The university, named after the Sea of Marmara, was founded as a university in 1982. However, its origins date back to 1883, when it was established as Hamidiye Ticaret Mekteb-i Âlisi in a house in central Istanbul. The university offers courses in five languages: Turkish, English, German, French, and Arabic, making it the only multilingual university in Turkey. It operates 13 campuses, 11 institutes, 8 colleges, and 28 research centers. Prominent alumni include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, comic actor Kemal Sunal, and former media mogul Aydın Doğan.