EMA Istanbul
Where two continents meet — our Erasmus+ course center in Istanbul is wrapped in three empires of history, from Hagia Sophia to the Bosphorus. Ideal for Erasmus+ teacher training in cultural heritage and digital learning.
Courses at this center are open to participants travelling from a country other than Türkiye — a core requirement of Erasmus+ mobility.
Let’s take a small tour of İstanbul.
İstanbul is the only city in the world to straddle two continents, where the Bosphorus both divides and connects Europe and Asia. Once Byzantium and then Constantinople, it carries the layered legacy of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires across a skyline of domes and minarets.
During their Erasmus+ staff mobility course in Istanbul, participants turn the whole city into a living classroom: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace around the historic peninsula, the Grand and Spice Bazaars, and a ferry ride along the Bosphorus — heritage, culture and everyday life meeting on the water.
Course topics running at this center.
İstanbul, the bustling metropolis of Türkiye, is a city full of charm, where the past goes hand in hand with the present and every step brings to light a relic of times gone by. At the crossroads of two continents — Europe and Asia — this spectacular city has absorbed the best of both worlds. With its historic landmarks, quintessential cuisine, vibrant nightlife, festivals of art and music, and labyrinths of marketplaces, the beating heart of İstanbul — and the soul of the Bosphorus under the watchful eye of the Maiden’s Tower — is a traveller’s dream.
İstanbul’s Historic Peninsula
The magnificent city of İstanbul has always attracted people from all over the world due to its strategic location and wonderful heritage. İstanbul gains much of its fascination from its historical peninsula, also known as Suriçi (Walled City) — founded as a residential area and capital of two empires, the Eastern Roman and the Ottoman, that once ruled across four continents.
Enclosed by the ancient city walls on one side and the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn on the other, the historic peninsula is the epitome of tourist attractions. Wandering its neighbourhoods amid Eastern Roman ruins and Ottoman artefacts, you feel the scent of history as if you had travelled back in time.
Commonly agreed to date from the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian around 507 CE, the tower was known to the Genoese as the “Christea Turris” (Tower of Christ) and to the Byzantines as the “Megalos Pyrgos” (Great Tower). It took its current shape during the Genoese period, when Galata served as a trade post in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
Beyoğlu — where İstanbul unwinds
Beyoğlu has always been a vibrant cultural hotspot. A new journey connects the old to the new — starting from the newly developed Galataport, through the narrow streets of Karaköy, along the charm of İstiklal Caddesi and up to the transformed Taksim Square.
Beyoğlu is a true symphony of culture where East meets West — the pulsating heartbeat of İstanbul’s day and nightlife. Around İstiklal Caddesi, a labyrinth of winding alleys is filled with funky cafés, soulful bars, continental restaurants, historic cinemas and theatres. The nostalgic red tram passes Çiçek Pasajı, Galatasaray High School and elegant consulates, past the Monument to the Republic on Taksim Square.
The Bosphorus Strait
The Bosphorus divides İstanbul in half — one side in Asia, the other in Europe. In some places only 500 metres apart, it has become a popular trading centre and tourist attraction. Hopping on a local ferry and reaching another continent in minutes never seems to wear off.
Along its shores stand the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace, the Galata Tower, the Beylerbeyi and Dolmabahçe Palaces, the Rumeli Fortress, the Çırağan Palace and the incomparable Hagia Sophia. The Ottoman-era waterfront mansions (yalı) — some 360 surviving on both sides — are symbols of history and tranquillity.
The Golden Horn
The Golden Horn, an inlet of the mighty Bosphorus, is one of İstanbul’s most important waterways. Named after its horn-shaped course, it was once a vital port where the fleets of the Ottoman and Eastern Roman Empires anchored.
Home to the legendary Galata Tower, the Old Galata Bridge and the glowing Süleymaniye Mosque, the Golden Horn is a moving hub of the city’s historical and cultural life. Nothing compares to watching the sunset over both the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn — what the poets once called “Sadabâd”, the place of bliss.
Historic bazaars — crossroads of commerce
Between the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar lies the inner heart of İstanbul, Eminönü — where the last real markets of the old city wait to be explored.
Next confirmed sessions at this center.
We arrange tailor-made Erasmus+ sessions on demand — tell us your preferred topic and travel window and we'll schedule it.