World Stadiums: Tüpraş Stadyumu, Istanbul, Turkey
Andy Greeves
Like Benfica's Estádio da Luz and Wembley Stadium and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Beşiktaş Stadyumu in Istanbul (currently known as the Tüpraş Stadyumu for sponsorship reasons) was built on the site of Beşiktaş's former home, BJK İnönü Stadium.
Opened in April 2016, the 42,684-seater venue was originally known as Vodafone Arena and then Vodafone Park before assuming its current name, Tüpraş Stadyumu in 2023. Designed by Bünyamin Derman of DB Architects, the ground was built at an estimated cost of $80 million and features a significant amount of corporate hospitality. There are 144 executive suites and a lounge (1903 Lounge) which can host up to 1,903 guests onsite. Notable technological innovations at the ground include high-definition monitors in VIP seating areas which provide a live TV broadcast, advertising and player information. There is almost 5,000 square meters of restaurant space within the venue and VIP parking for 600 vehicles.
Similar to other modern venues, Tüpraş Stadyumu hosts events other than football matches with concerts featuring the likes of Shakira and Mor ve Ötesi having taken place there in recent years.
Stands
Original elements of the east side of the BJK İnönü Stadium, known as the Eski Açık (Old Tribune), were maintained during the construction of the Tüpraş Stadyumu. The bowl-like stadium has two main tiers of seating as well as hospitality balconies.
History
Football has been played on the site of the Tüpraş Stadyumu since November 1947, when Beşiktaş took on Swedish side AIK at Dolmabahçe Stadium, which was renamed the BJK İnönü Stadium in 1973. Significant renovation work took place at the ground in 2004, which saw the capacity of the ground increase to 32,145, while plans for the building of the current Beşiktaş Stadyumu were unveiled a few years later, with planning permission eventually granted for the new venue in 2013.
The opening of the Beşiktaş Stadyumu - then known as Vodafone Arena - took place on 11 April 2016, when Beşiktaş took on Bursaspor in a Süper Lig match. The club marked the occasion by laying a red carpet on Dolmabahçe Street (known as the 'Ağaçlı Yol' or 'Wooded Road') between Kabataş and Beşiktaş, which supporters walked along enroute to the game. The match itself ended in 3-2 victory for the home side with Mario Gómez scoring twice and Alexis also on target.
The stadium has collected a host of awards over the years including the an Environmentally Friendly Award at the 4th Green Economy Awards Ceremony in 2015 and Project of the Year Award at The Stadium Business Design & Development Summit in 2017.
After Beşiktaş beat Bursaspor in a Süper Lig match on 10 December 2016, two bombs exploded outside Vodafone Arena, claiming the lives of 48 people and injuring many more. The nearby 10 December Martyrs Park commemorates the victims of the attack.
Beşiktaş
Formed on 3 March 1903 as Bereket Jimnastik Kulübü (Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club) 'BJK' are considered as one of Turkey's 'Big Three' clubs, along with Istanbul-based rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. A reported 90% of football fans in Turkey support the one of the Big Three.
Beşiktaş are Turkey's third most successful team by virtue of league titles, having won the Turkish Süper Lig 16 times. The 'Kara Kartallar' ('Black Eagles') have never been relegated from Turkey's top flight and also include 11 Turkish Cups and 10 Turkish Super Cups on their list of honours.
Gordon Milne Era
Born in Preston, England on 29 March 1937, Gordon Milne enjoyed a successful playing career, making over 250 appearances for Liverpool between 1960 and 1967 for whom he won two top-flight titles. He was also capped 14 times by England.
After spells in charge of Wigan Athletic, England Under-18s, Coventry City and Leicester City, Milne became Beşiktaş manager in 1987. During his seven years as Kara Kartallar boss, the club won three successive Süper Lig titles in 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92.
In the latter of those seasons, Beşiktaş became the first - and, to date, only - club to go an entire Süper Lig campaign unbeaten. Milne's team won 23 of their 30 Süper Lig matches in 1991-92 and drew the other seven. It was during the Milne era that Beşiktaş set the league's biggest winning margin by beating Adana Demirspor 10-0 on 15 October 1989.
Honours
Süper Lig Titles (16) in 1956-57, 1957-58, 1959-60, 1965-66, 1966-67, 1981-82, 1985-86, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1994-95, 2002-03, 2008-09, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2020-21
Turkish Cups (11) in 1974-75, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1993-94, 1997-98, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2020-21 and 2023-24
Turkish Super Cups (10) in 1967, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2021 and 2024
Fun Facts
- Tüpraş Stadyumu is the only professional football ground in the world from which two continents are visible.
- The stadium's headline sponsor, Tüpraş, is a petroleum refining company.
- The stadium's name was changed from Vodafone Arena to Vodafone Park in 2017, following national directive from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Erdoğan objected to the term 'arena' and its ancient Roman origins.
- Tüpraş Stadyumu is considered one of the 'greenest' stadiums in Turkish football and with eco-features including an integrated, eco-friendly rainwater harvesting system.
- Beşiktaş Stadium witnessed the first female referee in a major European men's football final match when French referee Stéphanie Frappart took charge of the UEFA Super Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea on 14 August 2019.
- Tüpraş Stadyumu was the venue for the 2026 UEFA Europa League final between Aston Villa and SC Freiburg.
Rivalry with Fenerbahçe & Galatasaray
While the 'Intercontinental Derby'; between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray is regarded as Turkish football';s biggest club fixture, there is also a significant rivalry between those teams and fellow Istanbulite, Beşiktaş.
With its first meeting dating back to in 1921, the Beşiktaş-Fenerbahçe clash has developed into a bitter rivalry over the decades. An incendiary moment in the fixture came in a Süper Lig match on 18 April 2010, when Fenerbahçe defeated Beşiktaş 1-0. With Fenerbahçe leading at the time, Beşiktaş were awarded a 64th-minute penalty.
Sarı-Lacivertliler defender Bilica famously scuffed the grass on the penalty spot which resulted in Brazilian forward Bobô's spot-kick for Beşiktaş being saved by goalkeeper Volkan Demirel. Beşiktaş appealed to the Turkish Football Federation to replay the match, but this offer was rejected.
Former Beşiktaş vice-president, Levent Erdoğan, commented at the time: "Turkish football is buried in the grave Bilica dug at the penalty spot at Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium."
Beşiktaş-Galatasaray is a similarly heated fixture - the origins of which can also date back to the 1920s. One of Beşiktaş'; most notable results against Galatasaray came on 3 August 2024 when a brace from Ciro Immobile and further goals from Jonas Svensson, Rafa Silva and Mustafa Erhan Hekimoğlu saw them thrash their old rivals 5-0 in the Turkish Super Cup in front of a crowd of 70,847 at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium.
Club Legends & Cult Heroes
Beşiktaş' top, all-time goalscorer is Hakkı Yeten, who scored 382 goals in 439 matches for the club between 1931 and 1948 and later went on to serve as manager and club president.
During the aforementioned Gordon Milne era, Beşiktaş boasted the so-called ‘MAF Trio' of Metin Tekin, Ali Gültiken and Feyyaz Uçar. Competent as either an out-and-out centre-forward or a winger, Tekin scored 104 goals in 431 appearances for the Kara Kartallar between 1982 and 1997. Gültiken meanwhile scored 91 goals in 262 league games having moved from right-back to forward under Milne's management while Uçar netted 169 times in 320 league matches between 1982 and 1994 before a move to Fenerbahçe.
Beşiktaş legends also included ex-Canada international Atiba Hutchinson, former midfielder and head coach Sergen Yalçın while cult heroes still adored by the Tüpraş Stadyumu include Ricardo Quaresma and Mario Gómez.
Museum & Stadium Tours
Apart from on Mondays, national holidays and home matchdays, Beşiktaş JK Stadium Tours run daily between 10.30 am and 4.45 pm.
The stadium also houses the Beşiktaş JK Museum - Turkey's biggest and first officially-registered sports museum. Like the Stadium Tours, the Museum is open daily apart from on Mondays, national holidays and home matchdays. The Museum’s opening hours are 10 am to 6 pm.
Access - Getting To The Stadium
Tüpraş Stadyumu is conveniently located with a 5-10-minute walk from Taksim Square. Supporters should head to nearby Taksim train station (M2 line) or Kabataş tram station (T1 line) on matchdays. There are also some novel ways to arrive at the ground.
The stadium is close to funicular stations at Kabataş and Taksim while ferries from Anatolian side of Istanbul arrive at nearby Beşiktaş Wharf.
In addition to Taksim Square, Tüpraş Stadyumu is close to other major tourist attractions including the Istanbul Modern (Turkey's first museum of modern and contemporary art) and the Dolmabahçe Palace.
Address: Tüpraş Stadyumu, 1 Kadirgalar Street, Visnezade, Besiktas, Istanbul, 34357
Accessibility
Tüpraş Stadyumu has 29 wheelchair user spaces and 60 easy access seating spaces. Wheelchair spaces are located on Level 0, in section K1 of North Stand while easy access seating spaces are located in section K4. Easy access seats can be found in blocks 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111 and 112.
Nearby Hotels
See here for a complete listing of hotel accommodation in Istanbul.
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