History
Between 1921 and 1939, Galatasaray SK and the two other major football clubs of Istanbul, Beşiktaş JK and Fenerbahçe SK, played their matches at the historic Taksim Stadium on Taksim Square, which was located inside the courtyard of the Ottoman era Taksim Artillery Barracks (Taksim Topçu Kışlası) built by Sultan Abdülmecid I 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 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 Stadi 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 was made up of 2 identical lateral stands which were covered by a roof: the Numaralı (Numbered) stand, where the TV cameras were located; and the Kapalı (Covered) stand, where the most fanatical team supporters usually viewed the games. The two other stands, behind the goal gates, were 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 35,000 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 saw many victories against renowned European football clubs, such as FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Milan, Manchester United and many others.
The stadium was located in Mecidiyeköy, one of the most crowded quarters of central Istanbul, surrounded by dense urban development.
The new home ground of Galatasaray is the newly built Türk Telekom Arena in the Seyrantepe quarter near Maslak financial district in Şişli. The new stadium, which was opened 15 January 2011, has a capacity of 52,695 seats, making it the largest private stadium owned by a club in Turkey.
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