A Brief History Of Galatasaray SK Stadium

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.

galatasaray-fc-stadiumVisiting 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.

Frequently Asked Question

Away Section of the Galatasaray FC Stadium
Sections 418, 419, 420, and 421 in the top deck of the southeast corner are reserved for away supporters.
The best bars around
Once inside the stadium, there aren't many places to purchase a drink because most spectators prefer to hang out in the Beyoglu neighborhood's bars first before boarding the metro.
The Club Shop at Galatasaray
With the exception of the GS Store online, Galatasaray's club shop at the stadium, which is more than 1,650m2 large across two floors, is the only place to get Cim-Bom-approved official items. Opening hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Sunday