Probably one of the most loved things about it is its main stadium which is called “ Sukru Saracoglu” or Fenerbahce stadium.

It was established in 1908 and served as a community stadium for many local teams until 1920 when Taksim stadium was established and took over the lead, in 1929 “Sukru Saracoglu” stadium was officially the home of Fenerbahce team after the club bought the land and from that time, the stadium became FENERBAHCE Stadium.

In the 1940s, the stadium was able to hold 25000 fans  in one covered stand and open terrace on the opposite side until 1998 when construction started in the stadium and redevelopment process added more covered stands and stretched the stadium to be able to hold up to fifty thousand fans.

Here’s the thing, Kadikoy district is absolutely the strong neighborhood of Fenerbahce team, so it is not a good advice to wear Galatasaray shirt while you walk through the streets of this district. When a match is going to happen in fenerbahce stadium, the district goes through some changes and dress navy blue and yellow colors and get prepared to host the match.

The stadium is located in Kadikoy district, and it has many coffee shops and restaurants around it in addition to the Fenerbahce main shop which you can find everything related to the club’s teams and players. You can also find some original shirts signed by players whether football players or basketball players or other sports players.

When you reach the stadium you will be amazed by the stricted security of it, alcohol is not allowed and cigarettes lighter also not allowed in addition to sharp materials. Outside the stadium you will notice many police cars with policemen fully prepared for any kind of emergency especially when the match is between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray teams. Over all, the security is stricted to ensure everyone’s safety and rarely for big problems to happen.

When you enter the stadium, you will find four covered tribunes and away fans can sit in GH (upper) and OP (lower) sections in addition to other sections like F and N sections that are opened according to the demand of away supporters.

The stadium is built according to FIFA standards and once, it hosted the UEFA CUP finals between Shakhtar Donetsk and Werder Bremen which ended with SHakhtar winning the Cup, the floor is natural grass and the lights are put in the order that matched FIFA standards in addition to the technical room, press stand, and protocol stand.

How To Get There?

Thanks to connected transportation network that covers every single part of Istanbul, you can reach the stadium easily.

If you are traveling from the European part of Istanbul, you can use the Ferry from Eminonu or Besiktas toward Kadikoy or simply use the Marmaray Metro Line that goes under the water crossing to the Asian Side of Istanbul. From kadikoy to the stadium there is a 20-30 minutes walk. It is important to know that walking is a better option for you because in match days the roads around the stadium is closed due to traffic. If you do not want to walk, you can use the minibus or a taxi toward the stadium.

If you are already at the Asian Side of Istanbul, you can use the metro line toward Kadikoy metro station and then have a walk toward the stadium or take a minibus. You can also take a bus immediately toward the stadium if you are not  a fan of metro lines.

Now, Turkish people are crazy about football and Istanbul city is the city of the top three football clubs in the Country.

Besiktas jk:

Besiktas Jk club has been established in 1904 but started to gain greater success in the field of Football in 1911, the players and members of Besiktas JK used to wear Red and White shirts but later they decided to change to Black and White to recall the losses of the Balkan Wars.

The Black Eagles (as they are called locally) won Istanbul’s league champion for the first time in 1924 but unfortunately, they couldn’t make another win until the 1940s. Overall, the black eagles has won 13 Turkish titles and 8 Turkish cups since the official launching of Turkish professional league.

Their stadium is located right next to the Bosphorus and its name is Inonu Stadium, and it is known about Besiktas JK fans that they are crazy and flammable, it is not an advice to mess with one of them.

Fenerbahce sk:

Fenerbahce SK club was established in 1907 by local players from Kadikoy district and it is known to be “Turkish People’s Team” because since its establishment it has won many games over the teams that were formed by occupying foreigners.

This club has won many titles throughout the years, 19 super league titles, 6 Turkish cups, and 9 Turkish super Cups and since its establishment, the club has and still plays its games at its main stadium (Sukru Saracoglu Stadium) in Kadikoy district in the Anatolian side of Istanbul.

Here is a fact: unforgettable day in the Turkish Calendar is 23 Feb. 1934 when Fenerbahce played against Galatasary. It was the first football riots that istanbul has witnessed during the game between these two clubs, things went really violent. And from that time until now, the Fenerbahce VS Galatasary Derby is a hell of a day for Istanbul

Galatasaray sk:

The lions, and the best football club in the Turkish league. Galatasaray SK club was founded in 1905 by its first president Ali Sami Yen who happens to be also a student of Galatasaray Highschool that was established in 1481. Since it establishment, Galatasaray Sk club has been the most powerful club in among clubs in Turkish league and has a record of 68 trophies including 20 super league titles, 16 Turkish cups, 13 Turkish super cups but one of the most respected achievements of the lions is winning the UEFA club in 2000 without losing any of their games and the big win of UEFA super cup by beating the champion Real Madrid. Since them galatasaray could not repeat what it did but still the most respected club in Turkey because of it record whether in Turkish leagues or international leagues.

Istanbul basaksehir fk:

Unfortunately, this Club has been through a lot of hate and nobody actually likes it. IStanbul Basaksehir FK club was originally called Istanbul BB club which is owned by the municipality of Istanbul. It has started playing in the amateur league until they found themselves playing in the professional league in 1996 but the sad thing about this clubs is that the have no fans! Their main stadium can hold up to 82000 fans but it was never filled and always empty.

In 2014 the clubs was officially named Istanbul Basaksehir club and now its activities is done in its new Fatih Terim Stadium.

The best achievement of this club is 4th place in 2014- 2015 Super cup.

Of course, there are other district clubs like Anadoluhisari Idman Yurdu Club, Zeytinburnu club, Kucukcekmece Club, Sariyer club, and many other clubs that play in ameteure league and have really gifted players working hard to find their way toward professional career

Now, you can see how Turkey go crazy when it comes to football when attending one of the matches in Istanbul or any other city, and if you are really thinking of attending one, here are some of the stadiums to visit:

Besiktas Stadium (Inonu Stadium)

Besiktas club was founded in 1903 and it is the oldest club in Turkey. The club plays its home matches in Inonu Stadium which is located in Besiktas District right in front of Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus. The stadium was first established in 1947 and it can hold up to 32 thousands seats for fans and visitors.
The atmosphere at the stadium is absolutely wonderful. In fact, the Times Magazine ranked this stadium among the best 10 stadiums in 2009 in terms of atmosphere, not to mention the comfortable structure of the stadium and various facilities of cafes, restaurants, gift shops, and a museum.

Galatasaray (Turktelekom Stadium):

Galatasaray club was founded in 1905 by Ali Sami Yen who was a student of Galatasaray high school which has and still plays an important role in education in Turkey.

Galatasaray club plays its home games in TurkTelekom stadium which is located in Sariyer District and it is considered one of the 5 most modern stadiums in Europe and usually it is used to host Champions league and European League matches. The stadium’s capacity after reconstruction is 53 thousands seats that are organized in a very modern and professional way to give more comfort and a cooler experience for fans.

Talking about Galatasaray club, the club is considered the most successful club in Turkey as it has won the Turkish championship league more than 20 times and was able to win the UEFA cup in 2000, attending one of Galatasaray club’s games is really fun.

Fenerbahce Stadium:

Fenerbahce club was founded in 1907 and it is the club of Asian Istanbul. This is why it is almost impossible to find someone who is a fan of a different club on the Asian side. Fenerbahce club was named after the lighthouse which you can find once you enter the kadikoy district thus, the fenerbahce stadium is located in Kadikoy district.

Usually and bofer any play at Fenerbahce stadium, the fans gather in kadikoy for eating and drinking and then walk toward the stadium to support their team. probably one of the best things about fenerbahce stadium is that you can walk for a maximum of 15 minutes from the heart of Kadikoy to it.  The stadium was renovated in 2003 to be able to hold around 52 thousand fans and visitors in a very organized way.

Fenerbahce club is the richest club in Turkey thus, the club’s stadium is very cheque and organized all the time.

The wildest game:

Here is a thing, when there is a match between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce clubs, Istanbul city goes literally crazy. We are talking about fans who are ready to die for their teams thus, the atmosphere during this game is absolutely amazing. Everyone is cheering, dancing, and yelling to support their teams, fire plays everywhere and drums sounds are on all the time. So if you want to attend a football game in Istanbul, make sure to attend this one.

Tupras Stadium was built in place of BJK İnönü Stadium, which was originally built way back in 1947. On the 3rd of November, 1947, Turkey’s then-president İsmet İnönü inaugurated the stadium, who was also a Beşiktaş fan. The initial viewer capacity of the İnönü Stadium was 16,000 people. In 1952, it was renamed as the Mithat Paşa Stadium, though this was reversed later in 1973. It is also worth mentioning that because of the unique location of the stadium, it had legal status as a "historical monument", which is protected by the Turkish High Council of Monuments. This is one of the reasons why the renewal project was postponed several times from 2004 to 2013.

Of course, a stadium that was built in 1947 didn’t withstand the test of time that well and had to be rebuilt. In 2004, the first tries were made to get the necessary permissions for the arena’s renewal, but these were delayed several times and the renewal project had to start later in 2013. The old İnönü Stadium was taken down and the new Tupras Stadium Istanbul was built over it. Tupras became the name sponsor of Beşiktaş for 3seasons and buried the letters of the fans to the arena’s foundation as a love message.

In 2016, the construction of the new arena was finished. On the 10th of April, it was inaugurated and the first match at the Tupras Stadium was played the day after between Beşiktaş and Bursaspor. Beşiktaş won this match 3-2. The 2019 UEFA Super Cup final was played in Tupras Stadium on the 14th of August, 2019. Liverpool won the game 5-4 during penalties.

About Tupras Stadium

Tupras Stadium costs around $110 million dollars, and it has the technical prowess to back that up. Tupras Stadium's capacity is 41.903 viewers. There are 147 suites and 1847 suite seats, 350 VIP parking areas, 2100 VIP seats, 600 standard parking areas, 81 handicap seats and 81 companion seats, an underfloor heating system, a SISAIR Underfloor Ventilation and Vacuum Drainage System, a roof and a C90 field of view.

Beşiktaş states that Tupras Stadium is designed to have multiple purposes. It is planned that the stadium will host numerous concerts and other events in the future.
According to the Tupras Stadium  Istanbul Seating Plan, there are 30 blocks on the upper floor of the tribune in addition to a press tribune. On the lower floor, there are 24 standard blocks and a VIP block. 25 different doors lead to different blocks of the tribunes. There isn’t any way of knowing the answer to the question “How is the Tupras Stadium view from my seat” without actually trying it, but you do not have to worry about the person in front of you blocking your view thanks to the stadium’s C90 field of view design. As for the best tribunes, blocks between 403 and 428 and 413-418 on the upper floor and the blocks between 113-118 and 103-124 provide the best angles to watch the game. If you want to see the tribunes and decide for yourself, search for a Tupras Stadium  Seating Map and choose one.

In addition to its football field and tribunes, Tupras Stadium also houses Beşiktaş JK Museum, a Beşiktaş Shop and a Vodafone Mobile Center.

Where is the Tupras Stadium?

Tupras Stadium in Istanbul Turkey is located in the Beşiktaş district, which is a favorite among a lot of Istanbulites. It is on Dolmabahçe Street near the Dolmabahçe Palace and is rather close to Taksim Square and Galata Tower. There are many ways you can go to Tupras Stadium:

1. From the Anatolian Side, you can take the Beşiktaş ferries from both Kadıköy and Üsküdar. After you get off at the Beşiktaş dock, the stadium is just a 5-minute walk.

2. From the European Side, you can take the Bağcılar – Kabataş tramway and leave at the Kabataş stop. From there, it is just a 5-minute walk.

3. Buses 27E, 27SE, 29C, 29D and 41E also go to Kabataş.

4. From Taksim, you can take the funicular and go to Kabataş as well.

Visiting Tupras Stadium 

If you want to buy Tupras Stadium tickets to watch a game, the best way to ensure you are not too late before the tickets sell out is to buy them online.
For a Tupras Stadium tour, the visiting hours are from 10 AM to 5.30 PM every day. Admission fees are 50 Turkish Liras for adults, 30 Turkish Liras for children aged between 6-14, students, seniors over 65 or groups of at least 10 visitors per adult, and it is free for children under 6, holders of press, FIFA, TFA, disabled people and their companions. The tour includes a guided tour of the Tupras Stadium, a photo session with the current and former Beşiktaş stars, a certificate of participation and an optional visit to the Beşiktaş JK Museum.

Beşiktaş JK Museum rules are different. The museum is closed on Mondays, first day of the religious holidays and on New Year’s Day. Visiting hours are 10 AM to 6 PM during the October-May period and 10 AM to 7 PM during the May-September period. Admission fees are 25 Turkish Liras for adults, 15 Turkish Liras for children aged between 6-14, students, teachers and seniors over 65, and it is free for children under 6, owners of a Free Press Pass, FFA, TFF, ICOM, MMKD cardholders and disabled people. Plus, the museum is open to dogs!
To tour the museum as a group with a guide, you need to make a reservation between 10 AM and 5 PM in any day except Monday and Sunday.

Galatasaray struggled the most in terms of finding a stadium out of the main three in the middle of the twentieth century. Fenerbahçe erected the Fenerbahce Stadium after the Taksim Stadium was destroyed in 1940, while Besiktas relocated into the Seref Stadium before building their BJK Inonu Stadium a few years later. Ali Haydar Barşal, the president of Galatasaray at the time, and the government agreed to share a tiny plot of land outside of Mecidiyekoy in 1933. The building began in 1936, but despite Adnan Menderes, the president of the Turkish Sports Organization at the time, providing financial support, work had to be suspended due to budgetary constraints.

Under Tevfik Ali Cnar's presidency, the same land was leased to Galatasaray once more in 1940. But on top of the fact that a second World War was taking place, they encountered the same financial issues once more. To swiftly address this issue, Osman Dardagan constructed a modest stadium with a small tribune in Mecidiyekoy, which was given the name Ali Sami Yen Stadium in honor of the club's founder. However, the stadium remained unused for a considerable amount of time due to its remote position and the terrible weather in the area.

After Besiktas completed construction of the Inonu Stadium in 1947, Galatasaray halted work on the stadium in Mecidiyekoy and played there for a short while. Following more financial issues on Galatasaray's end, the physical education general directorate took up the development of the Mecidiyekoy stadium. When the building process was completed in 1961, the Physical Education General Directorate gave Galatasaray complete access to the stadium.

Galatasaray, however, continued to experience ill luck even on the opening day, December 20, 1964. One of the tribunes collapsed under the stadium's excessive crowding, killing one person and injuring 84 others. Galatasaray abandoned the Mecidiyekoy Stadium once more in 1972 and played in the Inonu Stadium until 1981 after Besiktas resumed using it.

The stadium was reopened in 1981, then in 1993, new seats were installed and the lighting system was upgraded. Galatasaray made plans to replace the Ali Sami Yen Stadium with a new stadium public in 1997. The club started this initiative in 1998, but they were unable to secure the required approvals from the mayor and the state. Despite making a second attempt in 2001 with an improved cost-cutting strategy, the club was unable to secure the required funding due to the 2001 financial crisis.

Also, this time, starting around 1990, Ali Sami Yen Stadium earned the infamous moniker "Galatasaray Stadium of Hell." During games, Galatasaray supporters were infamous for making a lot of noise and lighting hundreds of flares, which created a terrible environment and gave the impression that the stadium was on fire. Numerous signs reading "Welcome to Hell" would be displayed to put the other squad under strain. On the center area of the covered tribune, they had a renowned "Welcome to Ali Sami Yen Hell" poster, but the team was forced to take it down after receiving a warning from UEFA in 2000. According to Setanta Sports, Ali Sami Yen is the fourth-best stadium in the world for atmosphere.

Similar financial issues led to a deal with Galatasaray and the government. Since Mecidiyekoy was now a part of the city center, the state suggested Seyrantepe as an alternative site for Galatasaray's new stadium out of concern over future traffic bottlenecks. Galatasaray put all of its energy into the brand-new Seyrantepe project, which was shortly renamed Aslantepe.

The building process began in 2007 and was completed in 2011. Turk Telekom Arena was picked as the name for the new Galatasaray Stadium, which was changed to Galatasaray Football Stadium.

Galatasaray SK Stadium

Rams Global Stadium was about $200 million in price. There are 52,650 seats available for spectators, a 4-story tribune system, 176 seats for the disabled and their companions, 33 buffets, 198 suites, 6,231 VIP seats, and 6 Galatasaray stores, 2,900 VIP parking spaces, and a 350-seat restaurant.

In Turkey, it is the first and only stadium that satisfies the 2016 UEFA standards. After Ataturk Olympic Stadium, it is also the largest stadium in the nation.

Visiting Rams Global Stadium

A Passolig card is necessary to watch any football match in Turkey, thus if you want to get Galatasaray Stadium tickets, you must first have one. After receiving your card, you can save time by purchasing your tickets online.

You have three options for purchasing tickets for the Galatasaray Stadium tour: online, at the stadium's ticket booths, or with a guide. The museum tour, the movie, and the stadium tour are all included in the Galatasaray Stadium Tour. On all days other than Mondays, days of indoor athletic competition, and the first days of religious holidays, the museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM. Visitors aged 0 to 6 years old are admitted free of charge, while adults must pay an entrance fee of 200 Turkish Liras.

The Bosphorus, Dolmabahçe Mosque, and Dolmabahçe Palace are all located within a world heritage site, making Vodafone Arena one of the top football venues in the country. The cutting-edge stadium is also the country's first smart stadium. The Coliseum-style architecture pays homage to the area's historical significance. The turf of the Besiktas JK Club, this environmentally-friendly arena contains high technical aspects for its guests, including interactive screens for a digital experience. It also holds international fashion events and concerts in addition to football matches.

• Ülker Sports And Event Hall

Basketball, volleyball, and wrestling, among other sports, are held at this multifunctional indoor arena, which also organizes national and international events. The Ülker Sports Arena's contemporary design and layout make it suited for a wide range of events. Apart from sporting events, the arena hosts family entertainment, conferences, and concerts. The Ülker Sports Arena, a well-known sports stadium in the city, is a welcome addition to the Fenerbahçe International Sports Complex.

• Atatürk Olympic Stadium

Ataturk Olympic Stadium, or Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadi in Turkish, has a seating capacity of 81,283 people and is located in Ikitelli, a suburb on the western outskirts of Istanbul. The stadium is home to the Turkish national football team, Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor.

• Türk Telekom Stadium

The Türk Telekom Arena, with a capacity of nearly 52,000, is an ideal home for Galatasaray SK of the Süper Lig. Since its completion in 2011, this stadium has become a beloved icon for the city's die-hard football supporters, hosting a lot of memorable Süper Lig matches. The stadium comes alive on game day with the noise of thousands of spectators watching their favorite team compete on the field. Although stadium tours are not accessible, visitors may shop for sports souvenirs and clothes at the stadium's store on any given day.

• Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium

The Kasimpasa S.K. football team in the Turkcell Super League plays its home games at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium, formerly known as Kasimpasa Stadium. This stadium, named after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a multi-purpose arena that can comfortably hold 13,000 people. Blue and white are the team colors in the stands. The stadium is mostly utilized for football matches, but it also hosts other athletic activities. It also includes a security system and great handicapped access.

Turkish people value sports, but football much more than others. Therefore, there are plenty of football stadiums across Turkey. If you wish to know more about Istanbul and Turkish people, you can visit the Istanbul.com website