Our Observatory is in the Astronomy and Space Sciences Department in the central campus of Istanbul University in Beyazıt. It's an extension of the Astronomy Institute which was established within the Istanbul University Science Faculty in accordance with 1933 University Reform that aimed restructuring of higher education in our Country. The plan was designed by Architect Arif Hikmet Holtay, according to the wishes of the first director Prof. Dr. E. F. Freundlich who was invited from Germany of Istanbul Fine Arts Academy and its foundations were laid in December, 1934. It was completed within six months by Senior Engineer Ekrem Hakkı Ayverdi and it became functional in the summer of 1936 as the first modern astronomy observatory in our Country.

The Observatory's most important observation instrument is the astrograph with 30 cm aperture and 200 cm focal length. Wide area sky images can be taken by this refractor system with four lenses. This astrograph with composite refractors, which is used in solar observations, was ordered to Carl-Zeiss Jena German firm on 11 December 1934 came by ship to Istanbul through Trieste-Italy in 12 pieces in 25 September 1936 and was placed in the dome in that fall.

The equatorial mounted refractor system has a historical importance and it is still used for scientific observations of the atmospheric layers of the Sun by adding modern subsidiary observation instruments; the properties of the 12 and 13 cm aperture subsidiaries are given below. The same system supports education with nocturnal and daylight observations, while serving the community and forming scientific culture through public activities.

The classical photography techniques (taking and developing pictures) we have been applying for many years with the aim of forming archives has left its place to digital photographing technique (CCD imaging). The parallel optic lined 12 cm aperture refractor connected to the astrograph refractor, which is equipped with a high resolution CCD camera and a narrow band H_alpha filter, is used in solar chromosphere observations. With this refractor, main chromospheric events such as solar flares and mass ejections are tracked and imaged. The one with 13 cm aperture is used in photosphere observations and with this sunspot groups are tracked and drawn by a projection, 25 cm in diameter, on a plane behind the focus. On the other hand, in urban areas with intense air and light pollution nocturnal observations cannot provide data with a precision demanded by scientific studies. To remove this impossibility regarding stellar observations, in a project conducted by our Department, a telescope will be established in Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Ulupınar Astrophysics Observatory. A fully equipped nocturnal observation telescope 60 cm in diameter is aimed by this project named "Istanbul University Automatic Astrophysics Observatory", which will be completed in the near future. After its completion the Astronomy and Space Sciences Department will be able to make scientific quality nocturnal observations as well as daylight observations.

Our Observatory is open to school visits during the academic year. For schools that want to benefit from this opportunity there are programs which introduce our Department and Observatory. Presentations are given on astronomy, and if the weather allows, solar observations are made with the refractors mentioned above. In programs covering the public nocturnal observations and introduction programs 30 and 20 cm diameter portable telescopes of the Observatory are used and with our guidance the participants are shown the moon, planets and stars, are given popular astronomic information and seminars are conducted. Moreover, our visitors are conducted to the hall named after Ord. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Gleissberg, who made the most important contribution to independent Astronomy and Space Sciences Department in its evolution from Astronomy Institute, are shown old and current astronomy observation and evaluation instruments and given information.

A new meteorology station is established recently in our Observatory, so instant weather report is given on the Internet for 24 hours. Following the link below up-to-date meteorological data can be obtained through the web page of Astronomy and Space Sciences Department:

http://astronomi.istanbul.edu.tr/meteor.

The Properties of the Astrograph and Refractor Systems

Astrograph: Its aperture (objective diameter) is 30 cm, focal length is 150 cm. Is used for astrophotographic purposes, it can take images in various sizes up to 24×24 cm, via the glass plates placed on the focus.

Photosphere Refractor: Its aperture is 13 cm, focal length is 200 cm. The 25 cm diameter projection obtained is mainly used to draw photospheric presences (sunspots and plage areas).

 Chromosphere Refractor: Its aperture is 12 cm, focal length is 232 cm. Equipped with a monochromatic filter (H_alpha - Lyot filter) and a camera (Canon F1) placed on the focal plane, it is used in solar chromospheric structure and events' observation.

Guide Telescope: Its aperture is 7 cm, focal length is 90 cm. The targeted area or object is detected with this small telescope with a huge field of view when compared to the others.