Erciyes University

LANGUAGE
Aug 30: Victory Day (victory over invading forces in 1922).
The medium of instruction in Erciyes University is Turkish and/or English. If you are
admitted to an academic program where the language of instruction is Turkish, you
are expected to learn Turkish.
Oct 29: Republic Day (anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic in 1923)
Kayseri is an ideal place for international students who wish to learn Turkish, which
is one of the mostly spoken languages in the world. If you are also willing to enhance
your Turkish living experience by learning Turkish, you can attend our Turkish courses
at ERSEM.
ACCOMODATION
There are many dormitories on campus operated by the Ministry of Youth and Sport.
After you register for a programme of study, you may apply to live in the girls’ or boys’
dormitory of Kredi Yurtlar Kurumu (General Directorate of Higher Education Credit
Hostels Institution). Alternately there are private dormitories which cost approximately
$300 per month, and there are also houses or apartments to rent in Kayseri which cost
approximately $400 per month.
Religious holidays
Ramazan Bayrami: Three-day festival when sweets are eaten to celebrate the end of the
fast of Ramadan month. Also known as “Şeker (sweets) Bayramı” since it’s customary to
offer candies to family members and friends that are visiting.
Kurban Bayrami: Four-day festival when sheep or cows are sacrificed and their meat
distributed to the poor.
The dates of these religious festivals change according to the Islamic calendar and thus
occur 10-11 days (exact difference between Gregorian and Lunar calendars is 10 days
and 21 hrs) earlier each year. According to this;
Ramazan Bayrami will be celebrated on 17-18-19 July 2015
Kurban Bayrami (Sacrifice Holiday) will be celebrated on 23-24-25-26 September 2015
Local Time
HEALTH INSURANCE
Standard time zone: UTC/GMT + 2 hours
International students who initiate their study in Turkey, are eligible for general health
insurance. This general health insurance must be requested within three months from
their date of registration, payment of the first 30-day premium is required at that time.
The premium rate is determined according to Law Nr. 5510, Item 82, is one third of the
lower limit of daily income.
Telephone & Internet
International students, who do not apply for general health insurance on time, are
not eligible to receive the benefits of this insurance during their education period.
Students who are self-financing their education, must appear in person for insurance
registration. PRACTICAL INFO
To make a long-distance call (any call outside of your area code), you have to dial the
long-distance prefix (0) before the seven-digit local phone number. Here are the area
codes for Turkey´s major cities:
• Adana 322
• Ankara 312
• Antalya 242
• Bursa 224
• Istanbul (Asian side) 216
• Istanbul (European side) 212
Money
• Kayseri 352
The monetary unit is the Turkish Lira (TL). Traveler’s checks are not favored in Turkey.
ATMs can be found in even the smallest Turkish towns. Most accept international
credit cards or bank cards (a strip of logos is usually displayed above the ATM). Almost
all ATMs have a language key to enable you to read the instructions in English. Most
commercial establishments accept international credit cards such as Visa, Master Card
and American Express.
Each Turkish mobile provider is also assigned a range of area codes (or mobile prefixes).
Turkcell uses numbers 530-539, Vodafone 541-549, and Avea 502-506.
VAT
110 Fire
The value-added tax, here called KDV, is 18%. Hotels typically combine it with a service
charge of 10% to 15%. Value-added tax is nearly always included in quoted prices.
Certain shops are authorized to refund the tax so you must ask about this.
170 Tourism Info
Electricity
The electrical current in Turkey is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall
outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two or three round prongs.
Major Holidays in Turkey
Jan 1: New Year’s Day
National holidays
Apr 23: National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (anniversary of the establishment of
Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1920)
May 1: Labour and Solidarity Day (since from 2009)
May 19: Atatürk Commemoration and Youth & Sports Day (the arrival of Atatürk in
Samsun in 1919, and the beginning of the War of Independence)
Useful telephone service numbers
155 Police
112 Ambulance
Tipping
For meals at restaurants, it is customary to leave a 5 % tip. Some high-end restaurant and
hotels add a 10% service charge to the bill automatically. Please check the bill first or ask
if service is included.
Contact Information
Erciyes University
International Students Coordination Office
Telephone: + 90 352 437 93 18
e-mail: eryok@erciyes.edu.tr
Web: www.erciyes.edu.tr
ERCIYES UNIVERSITY
WELCOME GUIDE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
A Brief History of Erciyes University
The establishment of Erciyes University dates back to 1969. Kayseri Gevher Nesibe Faculty of Medicine was established as an affiliate of Hacettepe University in Ankara, in 1969.
The Kayseri Business Administration Faculty was founded in 1977. The two faculties
constituted the nucleus of Kayseri University, which was then renamed Erciyes University in 1978. The name of the university was inspired by Mount Erciyes (3,917 m), which
lies 15 kilometers to the south-west of the city.
Two other higher education institutes, the Theology Institute founded in 1967, and the
Kayseri State Higher Education Academy founded in 1977, were incorporated into the
university as the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Engineering. Additional Faculty
were added almost immediately, including the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Growth continued with the Faculty of Architecture and Fine Arts in 1992, the Faculty of Veterinary
Sciences, of Dentistry, and of Communications, all in 1997. The year 2002 brought the
addition of the Faculty of Education, in 2003 the Faculty of Law, and of Pharmacology.
The Faculty of Aviation and Space Sciences and the Faculty of Tourism were added in
2012, and today Erciyes University is host to 18 outstanding Faculty. Erciyes University is proud to have 7 Graduate Schools and 33 Research Centers. The
University is also home to four Colleges, including the Physical Education and Sports
College, Kayseri Atatürk Health College, the Civil Aviation College, and the School of Foreign Languages; and nine Vocational Colleges including the Kayseri Vocational College,
the Halil Bayraktar Health Services Vocational College, the Safiye Çıkrıkçıoğlu Vocational
College, the Mustafa Çıkrıkçıoğlu Vocational College, the Vocational School of Social Sciences, the Develi Huseyin Sahin Vocational College, the Vocational School of Judicial
Practices, the Bunyan Vocational College, the Tomarza Vocational College.
In the 2013-2014 academic year 49786 students were enrolled at our university. More than 970 of these students are from the Turkic republics and relative communities.
We have 2200 members in our faculty, and 50 foreign faculty.
Location of Erciyes University
Erciyes University is located on the outskirts of the city of Kayseri which has a population
of 1,274,968. Kayseri has a rich and colorful historical background dating to 2000 B.C.,
but its primary importance was attained when it became a center of the Cappadocia
region during the time of the Romans. The city was christened Caesar in Cappadocia
in honor of Caesar Augustus, and translated to Kayseri when it was conquered by the
Seljuks.
At the end of the eleventh century, the Anatolian Seljuks claimed Kayseri as their own.
It became their second Anatolian capital city and a major cultural and scientific center
for nearby Konya. During those years the administration of their educational system was
conducted through thirty-two madrasas (universities). The first Turkish-Islamic campus
in Anatolia was the Hunat Hatun Complex, still located in the center of the city and
dedicated to an influential woman of the time in 1276, named Hunat Hatun. The complex
includes a mosque, the madrasa which also contains Hunat Hatun’s tomb, a hamam
(bath house and spa), and a soup kitchen. In the period of the Anatolian Seljuks, a large
number of architectural works of art such as mosques, madrasas, and particularly the
“Döner Kümbet” (monumental tombs), which roughly can be translated as “The Turning
Vault,” were constructed. These historical buildings survived through ancient times up
to the present. The historical covered-bazaar and the 1500’s Silk Road Caravanserai, both
located inside the Castle walls, are the inspiration for today’s big malls and rank third in
size in the country.
The aircraft and textile industries of Turkey had their birth in Kayseri. The city is also
well-known for its hand-woven silk and wool carpets, its shrewd businessmen, a spiced
sausage called Sucuk, a cured meat somewhat like prosciutto called Pastırma, and a
pasta dish served with yoghurt called Mantı.
Kayseri was home to one of the oldest trade fairs in the world and seems to have always
been a trade center. The Kanish and Karum ruins, trade centers between the Assyrians
and Hittites, are located 22 kilometers to the east of Kayseri. Kayseri holds many
Ottoman and Seljuk works of art, in addition to a great number of relics and ruins from
the prehistoric periods of the Hittites, Assyrians, Greeks, and Romans. Several historical
large-inns and caravanserais which saw their heyday during the Seljuk era, also exist
in the vicinity. These include the Sultan Han Caravanserai, 45 kilometres to the east of
Kayseri; the Karatay Caravanserai, 60 kilometers to the south-east of Kayseri; and the
Incesu Karamustafa Pasha Caravanserai, 20 kilometers to the west of Kayseri.
Mount Erciyes, the top of which is often covered with snow year-round, is both a world
class center for winter sports and a cool resort in summer. The Taurus Mountains within
the borders of the city, Kapuzbaşı Waterfalls near Yahyalı, and Sultan Sazlığı (the Sultan
Marshes) on the same route, are natural wonders as well. Over 250 different species of
birds migrate through the Sultan Sazlığı each year.
Kayseri, in the center of the Cappadocia region, is 80 kilometers from Göreme and the
UNESCO Open Air Museum, and 70 kilometers from the Soğanlı Valley, a picturesque
valley of innumerable chapels, church halls, houses, and tombs. Notable historical and
natural symbols of Kayseri are the Castle and the Turning Vaults, and the extinct volcano,
Mount Erciyes, ever watching over her university.
HOW TO GET TO KAYSERİ
By Road: Because of its position in the centre of the country, Kayseri is well positioned
on bus routes going east to west, and north to south. Services include several buses
daily from Istanbul (12 hours), Ankara (5 hours), Bursa (11 hours), Izmir (12 hours), Konya
(4 hours) and Cappadoccia (1 hours). The main bus station is on the west of the city
centre, and there are dolmuses running to and from the bus station.
By Rail: There are two daily trains from Adana (7 hours) and Istanbul (12 hours), hourly
from Ankara (9 hours), several weekly from Diyarbakir (20 hours), and one daily from
Kars (24 hours). The train station is just north of the city centre.
By Air: There are daily direct flights to/from Istanbul and İzmir and several times flights
a week to/from Antalya and Northern Cyprus . And also there are several times flights a
week to/from many European countries. The Erkilet Airport is 4km to the city centre.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The best way to travel around Kayseri is to use buses and light railway system.You can
buy tickets from agents that are located everywhere.Ticket fee are as following;
Ticket (for 1 use) for students: 1.15 TL
Ticket (for 1 use) for non-students: 1.85 TL
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COORDINATION OFFICE
Coordinator
Prof. Dr. Karamehmet YILDIZ
karamy@erciyes.edu.tr
Vice Coordinator
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Galip GÜNER
galipguner44@gmail.com
Leader of Students
Emre GÖKDUMAN
emre862@gmail.com
ADMISSION
Application Requirements
International students are admitted to the institutions of higher education in Turkey on
condition that applicants fulfill the requirements for student admission, determined
by the relevant institution of higher education and approved by the Council of Higher
Education.
Undergraduate Admissions
Following documents are required from applicants who wish to apply for
undergraduate study at Erciyes University .
• High School Diploma and its translation (Turkish or English)
• A passport, with an entry visa that bears the remark of education, and its certified
translation
• Official Transcript and its translation (Turkish or English)
• Language Proficiency Score (Applicants should contact the university for minimum
English language requirements. Students who do not meet language proficiency
requirements may take the university’s proficiency test upon arrival. Those who
fail the proficiency test must attend the English Preparatory Program provided by
the university. For further information, please contact the Admissions Office of the
Erciyes University.)
• Valid International University Entry Exam Result
• Financial Guarantee Letter
• Application Fee
All documents regarding application must be submitted to the respective university
no later than the application deadline announced on the Academic Calendar.
Graduate Admissions
Following documents may be required of applicants who wish to apply for graduate
study at Erciyes University.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Diploma and its translation (Turkish or English)
• A passport, with an entry visa that bears the remark of education, and its certified
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You can get discount tickets for multiple boarding.
ADMINISTRATION
UNIVERSITY
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Rector
Prof. Dr. H. Fahrettin KELEŞTEMUR
rektor@erciyes.edu.tr
Vice Rector
Prof. Dr. Hasan YETIM
hyetim@erciyes.edu.tr
Vice Rector
Prof. Dr. Abdülhakim COŞKUN
coskuna@erciyes.edu.tr
Vice Rector
Prof. Dr. Murat DOĞAN
murat.dogan@erciyes.edu.tr
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translation
Official Transcript and its translation (Turkish or English)
An updated resume
Statement of Purpose
Recommendation Letters
Language Proficiency Score (Applicants should contact the university for minimum
English language requirements. Students who do not meet language proficiency
requirements may take the university’s proficiency test upon arrival. Those who
fail the proficiency test must attend the English Preparatory Program provided by
the university. For further information, please contact the Admissions Office of the
respective university.)
Result for Graduate Program Entrance Exam (Please contact the Admissions Office
for the acceptable exams.)
Written exams and/or interviews
Financial Guarantee Letter
Application Fee
All documents regarding application must be submitted to the respective university
no later than the application deadline announced on the Academic Calendar.