The groundbreaking ceremony of the Unkapanı Mill University Transformation Project, carried out in collaboration with the Fatih Municipality and Ibn Khaldun University under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, was held on October 10, 2025.

The Unkapanı Mill, one of the most important industrial heritage sites of the Historical Peninsula, will be restored in accordance with scientific conservation principles and transformed into the Ibn Khaldun University Süleymaniye Campus.

Built at the end of the 1800s as one of Istanbul's most important food production centers, the Unkapanı Mill is being transformed into a space where knowledge, thought, and production will be reshaped while preserving its original architecture.

When the project is completed, the building will offer a qualified academic environment for both students and researchers with classrooms, conference halls, and multi-purpose social areas, as well as a meeting point open to Istanbul's cultural life.

The restoration work is planned to be completed in approximately 2.5 years under the supervision of the Conservation Board.

The new Süleymaniye Campus is designed as an open center of knowledge where the production of thought, art, and innovative projects will develop.

The university aims to provide direct educational and informational services to the community with this campus, promote intellectual and academic production, and create a dynamic, inspiring learning atmosphere for students.

Our Board Chairman Av. Hatice Akıncı Yılmaz, who attended the ceremony, made the following remarks regarding the project:

"The Unkapanı Mill Transformation Project is an exemplary initiative that brings together the civilizational heritage from our history with the educational vision of the future.
This project will facilitate our youth's reconnection with knowledge, culture, and values. I sincerely thank everyone who contributed, worked, and prayed for the realization of this valuable work."

Cultural Heritage in the Service of Youth

Attending the ceremony were Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Fatih Mayor Mehmet Ergün Turan, Üsküdar District Governor Adem Yavuz, AK Party Deputy Chairman Mustafa Demir, TÜRGEV Board Chairman Av. Hatice Akıncı Yılmaz, Ibn Khaldun University Board of Trustees Chairman Prof. Dr. İrfan Gündüz, and Ibn Khaldun University Rector Prof. Dr. Atilla Arkan.

In the speeches, it was stated that the project creates an exemplary model of collaboration that serves education and culture while preserving the historical fabric of Istanbul.

A Knowledge Nest Revived in the Memory of Civilization

When completed, the new campus rising in the heart of the Historical Peninsula will add lasting value to Istanbul's academic life with its modern educational infrastructure, public cultural events, and research areas.
This visionary project will transform into a knowledge nest that revives the memory of civilization by merging the accumulation of the past with the understanding of knowledge of the future.