Galatasaray
Encyclopedia
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (ɡaɫatasaˈɾaj ˈspoɾ kulyˈby, Galatasaray Sports Club) is a Turkish
sports club
based in Istanbul
, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.
. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball
, Wheelchair basketball
, Volleyball
, Water polo
, Swimming
, Rowing
, Sailing
, Judo
, Bridge, Equestrian
, Handball
, Tennis
and Superleague Formula
Motorsports. Galatasaray Sports Club is one of the most important members of Galatasaray Community
as Galatasaray University
and Galatasaray High School.
The football team of the club is the major team in Turkey
, holding highest number of TSYD Cup
, Turkish Super Cup
as well as Turkish Cups. Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup
and the UEFA Super Cup in 2000.
İhsan Emre Vural
and his teammate Ahmet Yumrukaya
became the first world-champions in the history of Turkey when they finished first in the 2004 Under 23 World Rowing Championships held in Poznań
, Poland
. The club's Wheelchair Basketball team
won the Champions Cup in 2008, 2009 and 2011. They also won Kitakyushu Champions Cup
and became world champion in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Galatasaray women's basketball team
won the FIBA Eurocup 2009.
, the medieval Genoese
citadel at the north of the Golden Horn
, also known as Pera
(Peran en Sykais). Since the 19th century, the name "Pera" refers to the larger borough of Beyoğlu
which includes the Galata.
club. Galatasaray's first president was Ali Sami Yen
. Their first match was against Cadi Keuy FRC
and they won this match 2–0. There were discussions about the clubs name, in which some suggested Gloria (victory) and others Audace (courage), but it was decided that its name would be Galatasaray.
According to researcher Cem Atabeyoğlu, Galatasaray took its name from one of its first matches. In that match, Galatasaray won 2–0 over Rûm
club and the spectators called them "Galata Sarayı Efendileri" (in English
: Gentlemen of Galata (City) Palace), and, after this event, they adopted that name and started to call their club "GalataSaray". In 1905, during the era of the Ottoman Empire
, there were no laws for associations so the club could not be registered officially, but, after the 1912 Law of Association, the club registered legally.
Among with the founder Ali Sami Yen, the co-founders were the ones who were keen to do this sport, such as Asim Tevfik Sonumut, Reşat Şirvani, Cevdet Kalpakçıoğlu, Abidin Daver and Kamil.
At first, the colors of the Galatasaray Sports Club were red and white. These are the colors in Turkish flag. However, Turkish Republic was not founded at that time. Therefore, this inspiration caused repressive administration of the day feel uncomfortable and the administration hounded the footballers. For this reason, the colors were changed to yellow and dark blue till 1907. In 1908,
new colors were chosen as red and yellow. Ali Sami Yen
stated, "We were imagining brightness of yellow - red fire over our team and thinking that it would carry us from one victory to another."
While the football in Turkey
began to fully develop, Galatasaray won ten more Istanbul League titles, six Sunday League titles and three Friday League titles until 1952. Upon recognition of professional football in 1952, the first professional but non-national league of Turkey, Istanbul Professional League played between 1952 and 1959. Galatasaray won three of these seven titles.
Türkiye Profesyonel 1. Ligi (Turkcell Super League
today) formed in 1959. This is the top-flight professional league in Turkish nationwide football, and the most popular sporting competition in the country. Galatasaray joined all seasons and won 17 league titles since then.
The Turkish Football Federation starts to organize "Turkish Cup" (today it is organized with the name Ziraat Turkish Cup) in the 1962–63 season for Turkish clubs to qualify for the UEFA
competitions. This is the only national cup competition in Turkey. Galatasaray joined all seasons and won 14 trophies since then.
. Galatasaray translates directly as 'Galata Palace'.
There is no diminutive form of Galatasaray. Fans refer to the club either by its full name or by its nickname "Cim Bom Bom" or the shortened 'Cim Bom'. The shortened form 'Gala' is sometimes used in Europe/Americas.
It is important to keep in mind Galatasaray is a compound word and it is pronounced as such. The most common mistake that is done by non-Turkish speakers is to intonate as Gala-tasaray, while the correct enunciation should be Galata-Saray with a very brief pause between the two words.
cruiser HMS Barham
football team played in 8 December 1908, Galatasaray finally settled on playing in red and yellow.
Ali Sami Yen, the main founder of Galatasaray wrote the following in his diaries:
“Our goalkeeper Asım Tevfik, left-forwarder Emin Bülent
and right midfielder Ali Sami Yen are commissioned for the task of determining new team colors.
“After we have been in and out of several shops, we saw two different elegant-looking wool materials in Fatty Yanko’s store at Bahçekapısı (between Eminönü and Sirkeci in Istanbul, now called Bahçekapı). One of them was quite dark red, resembling the cherry color, and the other a rich yellow with a touch of orange. When the sales clerk made the two fabrics fly together with a twist of his hand they became so bright that it reminded us the beauty of a goldfinch. We thought we were looking at the colors flickering in burning fire. We were picturing the yellow-red flames shining on our team and dreaming that it would take us to victories. Indeed it did.”
The red and yellow were inspired from the colors of the roses which Gül Baba
offered to Sultan Bayezid II
.
The first boxer in Turkey was Sabri Mahir.
. In 1921, the first stadium, Taksim Stadium
opened. Galatasaray played there until 1940. When the historic Taksim Stadium
was demolished, Galatasaray decided to build a large, modern stadium. Due to difficulties stemming from World War II
, construction was delayed for over two decades. In this period, they played in İnönü Stadium
.
On 20 December 1964, Ali Sami Yen Stadium
opened. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen
. It is in the Mecidiyeköy
quarter of the Şişli
district at the center of the city. In 1964, the stadium had a capacity of over 35,000. Today, due to improvements in security and prohibition of standing spectators, it has an all-seater capacity of 24,990. The nickname of the stadium is "Hell".
After 2002, when Atatürk Olympic Stadium was built for Istanbul
's Olympic Games bid, Galatasaray started to play European Cup
matches there. The attendance record for a Turkish stadium was broken there, in a Galatasaray–Olympiacos
match played in front of 79,414 spectators. But the Ali Sami Yen Stadium
has historic importance for Galatasaray fans although it is smaller and older.
The new Türk Telekom Arena stadium was opened 15 January 2011, and will be the new home ground for Galatasaray S.K., replacing the old Ali Sami Yen Stadium. The new stadium has a capacity of 52,695 seats.
Since 1998, after every goal scored by Galatasaray, the last part of the song I Will Survive
by the Hermes House Band
is played. Although the song is in English, the part used has no lyrics except "la la la la". This makes it easy for fans to participate.
In addition, before every game the Florida State Seminoles
' War chant is played accompanied by what the fans call a "scarf show", where fans display and wave their Galatasaray scarves.
Presidents:
Galatasaray AŞ owns a chain of shops, Galatasaray Store, selling club merchandise in Turkey
, Germany
, Northern Cyprus. Shops are in İstanbul
(24), Ankara
(3), İzmir
(1), Antalya
(2), İzmit
(1), Kayseri
(1), Gaziantep
(1), Mersin
(1), Adana
(1), Lefkoşa
The club also owns an online betting company, GS Bilyoner, an insurance company, GS Sigorta HDI, and an Internet service provider company, GSNET.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
based in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball
Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
, Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, Water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
, Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, Rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, Sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, Bridge, Equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
, Handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and Superleague Formula
Superleague Formula
Superleague Formula is an open wheel single seater motor racing formula, which started in 2008, at Donington Park in the United Kingdom. The league introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. It goes by the saying 'The Beautiful Race: Football at 300 km/h'. By 2011 the link with...
Motorsports. Galatasaray Sports Club is one of the most important members of Galatasaray Community
Galatasaray Community
Galatasaray Community is the organization of Galatasaray institutions which were derived from Galatasaray Lisesi, which cooperate with each other under one roof. It was established on 11 October 1988, when the organization was created under the protocol purposes and internal regulations were...
as Galatasaray University
Galatasaray University
Galatasaray University or Université Galatasaray is a Turkish university established in İstanbul, Turkey in 1992, following an agreement signed with the presence of President François Mitterrand of France and President Turgut Özal of Turkey during a ceremony at Galatasaray High School, the mother...
and Galatasaray High School.
The football team of the club is the major team in Turkey
Football in Turkey
Association football is a national sport in Turkey, tracing its roots back to the Ottoman Empire. The first matches were played in Selanik, now known as Thessaloníki, in 1875. The sport was brought over by some lovely English people living in the area. The Turkish football league system currently...
, holding highest number of TSYD Cup
TSYD Cup
The TSYD Cup is a defunct football competition in Turkey. The tournament started in 1963. It was played throughout 6 regions of Turkey: Adana, Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Konya, and Trabzon. The competition's major leg which was played between the Big Three of Turkey; Fenerbahçe SK, Galatasaray SK,...
, Turkish Super Cup
Turkish Super Cup
The TFF Süper Kupa, as it is currently known, is the annual super cup football match contested between the previous season's Süper Lig champions and the Turkish Cup winners in Turkey. It was originally known as the Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kupası from 1966 to 1998. No competition was held between 1999 and...
as well as Turkish Cups. Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
and the UEFA Super Cup in 2000.
İhsan Emre Vural
Ihsan Emre Vural
Emre Vural is a Turkish national rower. He started his rowing career at the beginning of his high-school years at Robert College of Istanbul and competed in the lightweight coxless pair category...
and his teammate Ahmet Yumrukaya
Ahmet Yumrukaya
Ahmet Yumrukaya, born 1984 in İstanbul, Turkey, is a Turkish rower competing in the lightweight coxless pair category.He is one of the first two Turkish rowers to win a world championship title in history...
became the first world-champions in the history of Turkey when they finished first in the 2004 Under 23 World Rowing Championships held in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The club's Wheelchair Basketball team
Galatasaray Wheelchair Basketball Team
Galatasaray Wheelchair Basketball Team is the wheelchair basketball section of Galatasaray SK, a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey. Galatasaray play matches in 2.200-seat arena, called the Ahmet Cömert Sport Hall.-History:...
won the Champions Cup in 2008, 2009 and 2011. They also won Kitakyushu Champions Cup
Kitakyushu Champions Cup
This tournament commemorates the 2002 Gold Cup World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Kitakyushu, which was the first to be held in Asia. 2011 tournament is the ninth to be held, demonstrating the vitality of our citizens and the united efforts of volunteers, and also promoting Kitakyushu...
and became world champion in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Galatasaray women's basketball team
Galatasaray Women's Basketball Team
Galatasaray Medical Park is the women's basketball section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey. The club is sponsored by Medical Park....
won the FIBA Eurocup 2009.
The name
The name Galatasaray means Galata Palace, as Galatasaray High School is located near GalataGalata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...
, the medieval Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
citadel at the north of the Golden Horn
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of...
, also known as Pera
Pera
Pera may refer to:People* Marcus Junius Pera, Roman dictator* Alfredo Le Pera , Brazilian journalist* Marcello Pera , Italian philosopher and politician* Marília Pêra , Brazilian actress* Patrick Péra , French figure skater...
(Peran en Sykais). Since the 19th century, the name "Pera" refers to the larger borough of Beyoğlu
Beyoglu
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...
which includes the Galata.
History
Galatasaray Sports Club was founded in the fall of 1905, by Galatasaray High School (an elite high school founded in 1481) students as a footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club. Galatasaray's first president was Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen is best known as the founder of Galatasaray Sports Club. His original name was Ali Sami Frashëri and he is the son of Sami Frashëri, one of the most famous Albanian writers, philosophers and playwrights...
. Their first match was against Cadi Keuy FRC
Cadi Keuy FRC
-History:Cadi-Keuy FC was a club which was founded by Englishmen James La Fontaine and Horace Armitage in 1899.-Istanbul Football League winners 1905-1906 and 1906-1907:-Honours:*Istanbul Football League:**Winners: 1905-1906, 1906-1907-Matches:...
and they won this match 2–0. There were discussions about the clubs name, in which some suggested Gloria (victory) and others Audace (courage), but it was decided that its name would be Galatasaray.
According to researcher Cem Atabeyoğlu, Galatasaray took its name from one of its first matches. In that match, Galatasaray won 2–0 over Rûm
Rûm
Rûm, also Roum or Rhum , an indefinite term used at different times in the Muslim world to refer to the Balkans and Anatolia generally, and for the Byzantine Empire in particular, for the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm in Asia Minor, and referring to Greeks living outside of Greece or non-muslims...
club and the spectators called them "Galata Sarayı Efendileri" (in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Gentlemen of Galata (City) Palace), and, after this event, they adopted that name and started to call their club "GalataSaray". In 1905, during the era of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, there were no laws for associations so the club could not be registered officially, but, after the 1912 Law of Association, the club registered legally.
Among with the founder Ali Sami Yen, the co-founders were the ones who were keen to do this sport, such as Asim Tevfik Sonumut, Reşat Şirvani, Cevdet Kalpakçıoğlu, Abidin Daver and Kamil.
At first, the colors of the Galatasaray Sports Club were red and white. These are the colors in Turkish flag. However, Turkish Republic was not founded at that time. Therefore, this inspiration caused repressive administration of the day feel uncomfortable and the administration hounded the footballers. For this reason, the colors were changed to yellow and dark blue till 1907. In 1908,
new colors were chosen as red and yellow. Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen is best known as the founder of Galatasaray Sports Club. His original name was Ali Sami Frashëri and he is the son of Sami Frashëri, one of the most famous Albanian writers, philosophers and playwrights...
stated, "We were imagining brightness of yellow - red fire over our team and thinking that it would carry us from one victory to another."
While the football in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
began to fully develop, Galatasaray won ten more Istanbul League titles, six Sunday League titles and three Friday League titles until 1952. Upon recognition of professional football in 1952, the first professional but non-national league of Turkey, Istanbul Professional League played between 1952 and 1959. Galatasaray won three of these seven titles.
Türkiye Profesyonel 1. Ligi (Turkcell Super League
Turkcell Super League
The Süper Lig is a Turkish professional league for association football clubs. It is the top-flight of the Turkish football league system. It is one of the top leagues in the UEFA confederation and the winner of the competition automatically qualifies for the UEFA Champions League...
today) formed in 1959. This is the top-flight professional league in Turkish nationwide football, and the most popular sporting competition in the country. Galatasaray joined all seasons and won 17 league titles since then.
The Turkish Football Federation starts to organize "Turkish Cup" (today it is organized with the name Ziraat Turkish Cup) in the 1962–63 season for Turkish clubs to qualify for the UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competitions. This is the only national cup competition in Turkey. Galatasaray joined all seasons and won 14 trophies since then.
Name and Pronunciation
The name Galatasaray itself comes from that of Galatasaray High School, which in turn takes its name from Galata Sarayı Enderûn-u Hümâyûn (Galata Palace Imperial School), the name of the original school founded on the site in 1481, and which in turn took its name from the nearby medieval Genoese colony of GalataGalatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
. Galatasaray translates directly as 'Galata Palace'.
There is no diminutive form of Galatasaray. Fans refer to the club either by its full name or by its nickname "Cim Bom Bom" or the shortened 'Cim Bom'. The shortened form 'Gala' is sometimes used in Europe/Americas.
It is important to keep in mind Galatasaray is a compound word and it is pronounced as such. The most common mistake that is done by non-Turkish speakers is to intonate as Gala-tasaray, while the correct enunciation should be Galata-Saray with a very brief pause between the two words.
Team colors
Galatasaray wore red and white colors when founded, then played in dark yellow and dark blue in 1907-1908 season. For a match against the British Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
cruiser HMS Barham
HMS Barham
Three warships of the Royal Navy have been given the name HMS Barham in honour of Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham. A fourth was planned but never completed:...
football team played in 8 December 1908, Galatasaray finally settled on playing in red and yellow.
Ali Sami Yen, the main founder of Galatasaray wrote the following in his diaries:
“Our goalkeeper Asım Tevfik, left-forwarder Emin Bülent
Emin Bülent Serdaroğlu
Emin Bülent Serdaroğlu was a Turkish footballer, a poet and one of the founder of Galatasaray SK. He spent the entirety of his career with his hometown club. His grandfather was Serdar-ı Ekrem Ömer Pasha and his father was Ömer Muzaffer Bey. He lost his mother during childhood. He graduated from...
and right midfielder Ali Sami Yen are commissioned for the task of determining new team colors.
“After we have been in and out of several shops, we saw two different elegant-looking wool materials in Fatty Yanko’s store at Bahçekapısı (between Eminönü and Sirkeci in Istanbul, now called Bahçekapı). One of them was quite dark red, resembling the cherry color, and the other a rich yellow with a touch of orange. When the sales clerk made the two fabrics fly together with a twist of his hand they became so bright that it reminded us the beauty of a goldfinch. We thought we were looking at the colors flickering in burning fire. We were picturing the yellow-red flames shining on our team and dreaming that it would take us to victories. Indeed it did.”
The red and yellow were inspired from the colors of the roses which Gül Baba
Gül Baba (poet)
Gül Baba , also known as Cafer, was an Ottoman Bektashi dervish poet and companion of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent who took part in a number of campaigns in Europe from the reign of Mehmed II onwards....
offered to Sultan Bayezid II
Bayezid II
Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...
.
The official Color codes
| Color | Pantone | CMYK color model | Hex Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| |1235 | C%0 M%30 Y%100 K%0 | #FCB514 or #FFB517 | |
| 201 | C%0 M%100 Y%65 K%34 | #A32638 or #B50043 | |
Departments
| Sport | Teams |
|---|---|
| Football | Galatasaray A.Ş. Galatasaray S.K. (football team) Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups.... |
| Volleyball | Galatasaray Women' s Volleyball Team |
| Volleyball | Galatasaray Yurtiçi Kargo |
| Basketball | Galatasaray Medical Park (men's basketball) |
| Basketball | Galatasaray Medical Park (women's basketball) |
| Wheelchair Basketball | Galatasaray Wheelchair Basketball Team Galatasaray Wheelchair Basketball Team Galatasaray Wheelchair Basketball Team is the wheelchair basketball section of Galatasaray SK, a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey. Galatasaray play matches in 2.200-seat arena, called the Ahmet Cömert Sport Hall.-History:... |
| Athletics | Galatasaray Athletics Galatasaray Athletics Galatasaray Athletics Team is the men's and women's athletics section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey.-Some Notable Athletes:* Şehit Celal * Silifkeli Şükrü Halil Dölek* Fuat Salih* Rıza Salih... |
| Bridge | Galatasaray Bridge Galatasaray Bridge Galatasaray Bridge Team is the bridge section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey.-Turkish Championship:* Winner: 1999, 2000, 2009 as a team* Runners-Up: 2009* Third: 2006* Third: 2007* Third: 2008... |
| Equestrian | Galatasaray Equestrian |
| Judo | Galatasaray Judo Galatasaray Judo Galatasaray Judo is the Judo section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey. There is also a Judo school in Burhan Felek Sports Complex.-Turkish Championship:* 1985: * 2006: * 2010 Mümine Demir * 2010 Derya Çidem... |
| Rowing | Galatasaray Rowing Galatasaray Rowing Galatasaray Rowing Team is the men's and women's rowing section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey. İhsan Emre Vural and his teammate Ahmet Yumrukaya became the first world-champions in the history of Turkey when they got first place in the 2004 Under 23 World... |
| Sailing | Galatasaray Sailing Galatasaray Sailing Galatasaray Sailing Team is the men's and women's sailing section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey. There are optimist, finn, Laser Radial, Laser Standart, Mistral, Laser M and windsurf teams... |
| SL Formula | Galatasaray S.K. Galatasaray S.K. (Superleague Formula team) Galatasaray S.K. Superleague Formula team is the Superleague Formula racing team of Galatasaray SK, a multisports club, famous for its football section that competes in Turkey in the Süper Lig. The team competes in the Superleague Formula... |
| Swimming | Galatasaray Swimming Galatasaray Swimming Galatasaray Swimming Team is the men's and women's swimming section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey.-Technical and Managerial Staff:-Current squad:-Domestic success:*Turkish Summer Championship:... |
| Water Polo | Galatasaray Men's Water Polo Team Galatasaray Men's Water Polo Team Galatasaray Men's Water Polo Team is the water polo team of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray S.K..In 2011, Galatasaray Men's Water Polo Team won Turkish Water Polo Championship Cup.-Current squad:As of August 11, 2010 -Domestic Success:... |
| Water Polo | Galatasaray Women's Water Polo Team |
| Handball | Galatasaray Handball Team Galatasaray Handball Team Galatasaray Handball Team is the men's handball section of Galatasaray S.K., a major sports club in Istanbul, Turkey.-Domestic success:*Turkish Championship:**Winners :*İstanbul Handball League:**Winners : 1945 to 1955... |
| Tennis | Galatasaray Tennis Team |
Defunct Departments
- Gymnastics 1868
- Wrestling 1887
- İstanbul Championship: Winner(8) 1945 to 1955
- Turkish Championship: Winner(2)
- Cycling 1898
- Boxing 1904 the first club in Turkey.
The first boxer in Turkey was Sabri Mahir.
- Swedish Gymnastics 1908
- Hockey 1911
- Field Hockey 1915
- Baseball 1925
- Table Tenis 1925
- Cricket 1926
- Aviation & Gliding 1931
- Skiing & Mounteenering 1931
- Motocross 1931
- Fencing 1931
- Water ballet 1995
Reactivated Departments
- Tennis 1910
- Handball 1926
- İstanbul Championship: Winner(8) 1945 to 1955
- Turkish Championship: Winner(2)
Stadium
Galatasaray played during its first years in different fields, since there were not any stadiums in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. In 1921, the first stadium, Taksim Stadium
Taksim Stadium
Taksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,...
opened. Galatasaray played there until 1940. When the historic Taksim Stadium
Taksim Military Barracks
Taksim Military Barracks or Halil Pasha Artillery Barracks is a demolished historic structure formerly located at the site of the present-day Taksim Park next to Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built in 1806, during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Selim III...
was demolished, Galatasaray decided to build a large, modern stadium. Due to difficulties stemming from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, construction was delayed for over two decades. In this period, they played in İnönü Stadium
BJK Inonu Stadium
Fiyapı İnönü Stadium is a football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey and is the home ground of the football club Beşiktaş J.K.. Previously the ground has aso been shared with Galatasaray S.K. and Fenerbahce S.K.. The ground is located in Dolmabahçe, close to the Dolmabahçe Palace in the district of...
.
On 20 December 1964, Ali Sami Yen Stadium
Ali Sami Yen Stadium
Ali Sami Yen Stadium was the home of the football club Galatasaray SK in Istanbul, Turkey, from 1964 to 2010. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen...
opened. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen is best known as the founder of Galatasaray Sports Club. His original name was Ali Sami Frashëri and he is the son of Sami Frashëri, one of the most famous Albanian writers, philosophers and playwrights...
. It is 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 one of 39 districts of Istanbul, Turkey. Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş to the east, Sarıyer to the north, Eyüp and Kağıthane to the west, and Beyoğlu to the south...
district at the center of the city. In 1964, the stadium had a capacity of over 35,000. Today, due to improvements in security and prohibition of standing spectators, it has an all-seater capacity of 24,990. The nickname of the stadium is "Hell".
After 2002, when Atatürk Olympic Stadium was built for Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
's Olympic Games bid, Galatasaray started to play European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
matches there. The attendance record for a Turkish stadium was broken there, in a Galatasaray–Olympiacos
Olympiacos
Olympiacos F.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos, Olympiacos Piraeus or with its full name Olympiacos C.F.P. , Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus, is a Greek association football club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus....
match played in front of 79,414 spectators. But the Ali Sami Yen Stadium
Ali Sami Yen Stadium
Ali Sami Yen Stadium was the home of the football club Galatasaray SK in Istanbul, Turkey, from 1964 to 2010. It is named after the founder of the club, Ali Sami Yen...
has historic importance for Galatasaray fans although it is smaller and older.
The new Türk Telekom Arena stadium was opened 15 January 2011, and will be the new home ground for Galatasaray S.K., replacing the old Ali Sami Yen Stadium. The new stadium has a capacity of 52,695 seats.
Since 1998, after every goal scored by Galatasaray, the last part of the song I Will Survive
I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris...
by the Hermes House Band
Hermes House Band
The Hermes House Band is a Dutch pop band, established in 1984 by members of the Hermes fraternity/sorority in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They have released more than twenty five albums and singles.-History:...
is played. Although the song is in English, the part used has no lyrics except "la la la la". This makes it easy for fans to participate.
In addition, before every game the Florida State Seminoles
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
' War chant is played accompanied by what the fans call a "scarf show", where fans display and wave their Galatasaray scarves.
Other facilities
- Galatasaray Islet
- Galatasaray MuseumGalatasaray MuseumGalatasaray Museum is a cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, founded in 1868 by Ali Sami Yen, to inform the society of the traditions and history of Galatasaray. The museum is open to the public everyday except Mondays.-The Building:The museum initially opened at Kalamış Bay. Later in 1919, it...
- Florya Metin Oktay Sports Complex and Training CenterFlorya Metin Oktay Sports Complex and Training CenterThe Florya Metin Oktay Sports Complex and Training Center is the training ground and academy base of the Turkish football club Galatasaray SK. It was opened on August 1, 1981. Located in Florya, Istanbul and named after the club's legendary goalscorer Metin Oktay, the sports complex covers an area...
- Galatasaray Beyoğlu Hasnun Galip Club Administrative CenterGalatasaray Beyoğlu Hasnun Galip Club Administrative CenterGalatasaray Beyoğlu Hasnun Galip Club Administrative Center is the administrative center of Galatasaray Sports Club in İstanbul, Turkey. After Türk Telekom Arena will be completed, the administrative center of Galatasaray Sports Club will move to the new stadium and the old building will be...
- Galatasaray Kalamış Sailing FacilitiesGalatasaray Kalamış Sailing FacilitiesGalatasaray Kalamış Sailing Facilities is the training center of Galatasaray Sailing Team. It is located at Kalamış, İstanbul....
- Galatasaray Küçükçekmece Rowing CenterGalatasaray Küçükçekmece Rowing CenterGalatasaray Küçükçekmece Rowing Center is the training center of Galatasaray Rowing Team. It is located at Küçükçekmece, İstanbul....
- Galatasaray Nevzat Özgörkey Equestrian Facilities
- Galatasaray Olympic Aquatic Center
Club officials
Board of Directors:| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Ünal Aysal Ünal Aysal Ünal Aysal , is a Turkish businessman. He is currently the president of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray S.K..-Business career:He was graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1961... |
| Deputy President | Ali Dürüst |
| Vice President | Adnan Öztürk |
| Vice President | Refik Arkan |
| Board secretary | Aka Gündüz Özdemir |
| Treasurer | Adnan Nas |
Presidents:
| From-to | Names |
|---|---|
| 1905–1918 |  Ali Sami YenAli Sami Yen Ali Sami Yen is best known as the founder of Galatasaray Sports Club. His original name was Ali Sami Frashëri and he is the son of Sami Frashëri, one of the most famous Albanian writers, philosophers and playwrights... |
| 1990–1996 | Alp Yalman Alp Yalman Alp Yalman is a Turkish businessman and former chairman of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray.Yalman was born in Istanbul. After graduating from Robert College in Turkey, he studied Social and Political Science in the University of Lausanne, Switzerland... |
| 1996–2001 | Faruk Süren Faruk Süren Faruk Süren is a Turkish businessman and former chairman of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray.Süren was born in Istanbul. He graduated from a German high school in Germany, then studied business administration in Istanbul University. After serving as vice-president for years, he was elected as... |
| 2001–2002 | Mehmet Cansun Mehmet Cansun Mehmet Cansun is a Turkish businessman and former chairman of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray.He works in advertising industry as the owner of Kamera Reklam Group. In 2001 he was elected as the president of Galatasaray. Although his presence continued only 8 months, Galatasaray won Turkish... |
| 2002–2008 | Özhan Canaydın Özhan Canaydin Özhan Canaydın was a businessman, basketballer and former chairman of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray.-Basketball career:... |
| 2008–2011 | Adnan Polat Adnan Polat Adnan Polat , is a Turkish businessman born in Erzurum, a city in north-east Turkey. He is past the chairman of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray.... |
| 2011– | Ünal Aysal Ünal Aysal Ünal Aysal , is a Turkish businessman. He is currently the president of the Turkish sports club Galatasaray S.K..-Business career:He was graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1961... |
Other businesses
Galatasaray AŞ owns a chain of shops, Galatasaray Store, selling club merchandise in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Northern Cyprus. Shops are in İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
(24), Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
(3), İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
(1), Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
(2), İzmit
Izmit
İzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
(1), Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
(1), Gaziantep
Gaziantep
Gaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
(1), Mersin
Mersin
-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
(1), Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
(1), Lefkoşa
The club also owns an online betting company, GS Bilyoner, an insurance company, GS Sigorta HDI, and an Internet service provider company, GSNET.