Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-04
UNIVERSITY OF C0NSTANTlN0PLE
Ely WILLIAM r. CURTIS
for The Star and the Chicago Record Herald.


| ! have received letters from readers
asking further information concerning
| the University of CONSTANT
| Interest nople. and the great medical
Shown cyciopedia, written by Dr.
Avicenna in the middle
ages. The latter was referred to in a re-
cent description Of the library attached
to the Mosque of ST.; Sophia i'll Con-
stanttnople. and is more famous. par
ticularly among the medical profession.
than supposed.
First about the Ottoman Imperial Uni
versity. which was established about
eight years ago in Stamboui. the native
part Of Constantinople, with six depart
ments-law, medicine. politics. theology,
literature ard natural sciences.
This institution was founded by the ex-
Sultan Abdul Halnid as a concession to
the. orthodox and loyal families OF the
Moslem faith who were determined that
their sons should have a liberal educa-
ton. but were reluctant to send them
to the American missionary colleges or
to the European universities. Hundreds
of Turkish young men have been" going
to the universities OF Paris. Geneva, Ber-
lin, Vienna and Budapest, and at those
institutions acquired liberal and reyolu-
tlonary doctrines which made them dan
gerouS to despOtism. Abdul Hanid was
opposed to education in every fern, par
ticularly among the middle and lower
classes of his subjects, because it made
them troublesome and Disconnected but
he threw tub to the whale. as it were,
by starting a university of his own about
four years before his downfall. 1t did
not amount to much under his reign, but
since the Young Turks came into power
hos t11d t<Yfarn 1ev s1rf6
promises to be an institution of i.npor-
tance.
::
There are now about $50 students in
the various departments. and a faculty
of some 200 professors, most of
Student them competent men, but only
d.. a few have ever had experience
. in instruction. For the current
year the appropriation for the support of
the university is about three million pias-
tiers, which is equivalent to $4,000 in
American money, sum that is ample
for the present to meet the demands.
The university occupies the former
place of, Kiamil Paslla, near the Mosque
Of Sultan Bayazid, on one of the highest
and Best positions in the city. While the
pose. it is a costly and highly decorated
mansion. and when the Cheragan palace,
occupied by the parliament last, winter,
was burned down it was proposed to
turn out the university and use the kiamil
palace as parliament house. Fortunate
ly the minister of public education was
able to head off the plan. because he
would have found it very difficult to
find even so good or so poor a place in
Constantnople for the institution, Plans
have been made for a new building to cost
million pounds, or 81. COO 600. but it will
be long time before the Turkish treasury
can afford such an expenditure.
J The largest branch of the university Is
the lazy department.. called the Mektebi
/ - Hookouk, where more
Department than thousand young
NJ Taw men are attending lee
" lures to prepare them
selves for the bar. and for employment
by the government as magistrates and
in other legal capacities. Many of these
young men finish their courses at the Sor-
bonnie. Paris. and other, European institu-
tions. More attention. is paid to the sharfat,
the Moharnnisdaa. eode, than Is European
law. because that prevails throughout the
entire Ottoman empire, and Is based en-
tirely upon the. Koran. Several PROPOSE
tions have been Offered for the appoint
ment Of q commission to tnodernize this
code that It may; better apply. to everyday
affairs. but thus far the Mohammedan
priests have been able to head. it off,
The law school Is open to students of
all nationaltties. The matfIculation fee is
So. and there is 2 similar fee for tuition
and also for examinations, which makes
the total charge SIS for the first year.
Parliament has passed law authoriz-
ing the officials of the university to waive
the fees Of students who bring certificates
from local magistrates that they are COM
petent and worthy to attend the lectures,
but are not able to pay the charges. Dur
ing the year 1910 ~ per cent of the stu
dents In the law department took ad-
vantage of this exemption.
There are about fifty instructors in the
law school and probably $500 different
young men attend all or part of the lee
lures during the year, coming and going
according to their convenience, but the
average attendance did not exceed one
thousand.
The next largest school is the Mektebi
Milkieh, or School of Politics, where at
tendance is obligatory and
Political each student is required to
School. apaen. r-tdav u,h,nh "a . 10y
Moslem Sabbath. There are about 800
students and nine professors, who are
teaching the several languages spoken
in the Turkish empire, and other general
branches for the purpose of qualifying
the graduates to fill official positions in
the different provinces and in the vari-
-, of +
is training school for government en-
plOyes.
The Ulumi Dinieh, or theological de-
partment, has ten professors and one
hundred and forty students. who are be-
ino. nrenared for the NnSlem prieSthOOd. |