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Ali Sami Yen Stadium

Ali Sami Yen Stadium

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Ali Sami Yen Stadium is the home of the football club Galatasaray SK in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...

, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...

. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen, born in Kandilli, Istanbul, Turkey on May 20, 1886, is best known as the founder of Galatasaray Sports Club. His original name was Ali Sami and he is the son of Sami Frashëri, one of the most famous Ottoman-Albanian writers, philosophers and playwrights...

. The stadium has a capacity of 24,000 (all-seater) and is situated in the Mecidiyeköy
Mecidiyeköy
Mecidiyeköy is a neighbourhood located in the Şişli district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is also one of the prominent business quarters of Istanbul. It is situated between Fulya, Kuştepe, Gültepe, Esentepe, and Gülbahar neighbourhoods...

 quarter of the Şişli
Sisli
Şişli is a crowded central district of İstanbul, Turkey. It is a business, shopping and residential area north of Taksim, the entertainment heart of the city.-The grand past:...

 district, at the center of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...

an side of the city.
Between 1921 and 1939, Galatasaray and the two other major football clubs of Istanbul, Beşiktaş JK and Fenerbahçe SK
Fenerbahçe SK
Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü , commonly known as Fenerbahçe , is a professional sports club based in the district of Kadıköy in Istanbul, Turkey. The name of the sports club and its sea side district derive their names from a lighthouse located in Fenerbahçe district of Kadikoy...

, played their matches at the historic Taksim Stadium on Taksim Square
Taksim Square
Taksim Square situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels...

, which was located inside the courtyard of the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...

 era Taksim Artillery Barracks (Taksim Topçu Kışlası) built by Sultan Abdülmecid I
Abdülmecid I
Abdülmecid I, Abdul Mejid I, Abd-ul-Mejid I or Abd Al-Majid I Ghazi was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on July 2 1839. His reign was notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories...

 in the 1840s; the surrounding walls of which were transformed into tribunes. Taksim Stadium was demolished in 1939 and was replaced with the present-day Taksim Park (Taksim Gezi Parkı) in the 1940s and 1950s. As a result, the major football teams of Istanbul had to find a new stadium to play their matches. Galatasaray Sports Club decided to build a large, modern stadium, and construction works began in 1943. Due to the difficulties faced during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 years, only a small stadium could initially be built, which was opened in 1945. However, construction works continued on the site and the current stadium was completed in 1964.

Ali Sami Yen Stadium was inaugurated on December 14 1964, with a friendly game between Turkey and Bulgaria. Unfortunately, tragedy struck during the opening match: in one of the stands many people fell onto the first floor, which caused numerous injuries, but luckily none of them were fatal. Spotlights were added to the stadium in 1965, and night games began to be played (the lighting system was renovated in 1993). The stadium is made up of 2 identical lateral stands which are covered by a roof: the Numaralı (Numbered) stand, where the TV cameras are located; and the Kapalı (Covered) stand, where the most fanatical team supporters usually view the games. The two other stands, behind the goal gates, are the Yeni Açık (New Open), with 2 tiers, and the Eski Açık (Old Open), with the electronic scoreboard.

In the past, games were played in front of more than 40,000 spectators in this stadium, which is nicknamed "Hell" by Galatasaray's supporters because of its intimidating atmosphere and the enthusiastic support of the fans who often make mass use of torches, smoke, drums, flags and giant posters to create visual grandeur and apply psychological pressure on visiting teams. Ali Sami Yen is important for Galatasaray because it has seen many victories against renowned European football clubs, such as FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Fútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...

, Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It is the most successful team in Spanish football and was voted by FIFA as the most successful club of the 20th century, having won a record thirty-one La Liga titles, seventeen Spanish Cups, a record nine European...

, Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan and as just Milan in Italy, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy...

, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...

 and many others.

The stadium is located in Mecidiyeköy
Sisli
Şişli is a crowded central district of İstanbul, Turkey. It is a business, shopping and residential area north of Taksim, the entertainment heart of the city.-The grand past:...

, one of the most crowded quarters of central Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and fifth largest city proper in the world with a population of 12.6 million. Istanbul is also a megacity, as well as the cultural and financial centre of Turkey. The city covers 39 districts of the Istanbul province...

, surrounded by dense urban development. In recent years, numerous proposals have been put forward to demolish the current stadium and build a larger one on the same location, but this is impossible due to the lack of space.
Currently Galatasaray is building a new stadium
Aslantepe Arena
Türk Telekom Arena is a new multi-purpose stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, which is currently under construction. When completed around August 2010, it will be the new home ground for Galatasaray S.K., replacing the old Ali Sami Yen Stadium. The stadium will have a capacity of 52,647. The stadium will...

 in the Seyrantepe quarter near Maslak
Maslak
Maslak is one of the main business districts of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of the city. It is an exclave of Şişli, though being far north and actually closer to the boroughs of Beşiktaş and Sarıyer....

 financial district, the name of which has been changed to Aslantepe (Lion Hill) after Galatasaray purchased the ground; Aslan (Lion) being Galatasaray's symbol. The construction works of the new stadium have started at the end of 2007. The new stadium will have a capacity of 52.647, making it the largest private stadium owned by a club in Turkey. It will also feature a mobile pitch and a hydraulic dome at the top(retractable roof) which can be closed in case of rain or snow. There are also plans for building a 15,500 seated multi-purpose sports hall, an Arena Complex (shopping-entertainment-business center)and a cinema complex. It is expected to be completed on October 29, 2010.

Games and tickets


A portion of the stadium, covering around 7,000 to 8,000 seats, is sold annually in the form of seasonal tickets. Average number of fans per game is around 19,000, while the stadium has a capacity of 24,000.

Stands


The best atmosphere in the stadium is in the Kapalı (Covered) stand, where the most fanatical fans congregate. For more comfort, the Numaralı (Numbered) stand is the best, but this is also the most expensive one. The stadium's most modern section is the recently rebuilt Eski Açık (Old Open) stand.

Access


Access to Ali Sami Yen is very easy, as the stadium is not far from popular tourist locations such as Taksim Square
Taksim Square
Taksim Square situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels...

. There is a subway station near the stadium, as well as a bus stop for several lines of the Metropolitan Municipality's bus network. The subway station's name is "Şişli/Mecidiyeköy".

The New Ali Sami Yen Stadium


The New Ali Sami Yen Stadium, also known as the Aslantepe Arena
Aslantepe Arena
Türk Telekom Arena is a new multi-purpose stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, which is currently under construction. When completed around August 2010, it will be the new home ground for Galatasaray S.K., replacing the old Ali Sami Yen Stadium. The stadium will have a capacity of 52,647. The stadium will...

, is under construction in the Seyrantepe (Seyran Hill) neighbourhood (renamed as Aslantepe (Lion Hill) by the Municipality of Şişli
Sisli
Şişli is a crowded central district of İstanbul, Turkey. It is a business, shopping and residential area north of Taksim, the entertainment heart of the city.-The grand past:...

 as a gesture for Galatasaray, whose mascot is the Lion), near the Maslak
Maslak
Maslak is one of the main business districts of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of the city. It is an exclave of Şişli, though being far north and actually closer to the boroughs of Beşiktaş and Sarıyer....

 financial district. The stadium's project was introduced to the Turkish press on May 11 2007. It will have a fully retractable roof and a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, either in terms of the physical space available, or in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that...

for 52,647 spectators, excluding the seats of the VIP lounges. The stadium will also have its own metro station. Construction works are scheduled to be completed in 23 months.

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