Ege University (Ege Üniversitesi in Turkish) is a public university in İzmir, Turkey. It was founded in 1955 with the Faculties of Medicine and Faculty of Agriculture. As such, it is the first university to start courses in İzmir Ege University is located in Bornova, a district of Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey and one of its principal industrial, commercial, cultural and tourist centers. Izmir is a city, which is a reference point in world history and also in its intellectual present and future. Izmir city hosts three state universities and three private universities. Being one of the largest cities of the country, it provides ample cultural and recreational activities. The city is situated in the Aegean Region near the seacoast and hence is a very accessible city with excellent road and rail links and an airport to national and international destinations. By 1982, Ege University was one of the largest universities of Turkey with 17 faculties, 9 junior college-type schools and 8 Institutes. That same year, part of the university was separated into a new university, namely Dokuz Eylül University (Dokuz Eylul University).