Dicle University is a public university located in Diyarbakır, Turkey, on the eastern side of the Tigris (Turkish: Dicle) river. The university is one of the oldest and largest higher education institutions in southeastern Anatolia, Turkey. Built on a twenty-seven-thousand-acre area in the eastern side of the historical city of Diyarbakır, Dicle University takes its name from the river which splits the university from the city. Apart from its main campus in Diyarbakır, the university has vocational schools in Ergani, Çermik, Çüngüş, Bismil, and Silvan. Dicle University's early history is linked with Diyarbakır Eğitim Enstitüsü which was chartered on 1962. The Faculty of Medicine, which was opened in 1966 as a part of Ankara University, forms the nucleus of the present Dicle University. With the opening of the Faculty of Art and Sciences in 1974, Dicle University was officially founded including two faculties. The Faculty of Dentistry was founded in 1976 and the Faculty of Agriculture in 1981. The name Diyarbakir University was changed to Dicle University in 1982. The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, The Faculty of Law, The Faculty of Education, three graduate schools and five schools were opened as new institutions of the University. Today there are 15 faculties, four schools, 12 vocational schools, four graduate schools, one state conservatory, and thirty research and application centres under the administration of the university. Dicle University is at the centre of the GAP.