Audio GuideÜlker Stadium Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Sport Complex

In the heart of Istanbul’s Kadıköy district stands the Ülker Stadyumu Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saracoğlu Sports Complex, a venue where history, sport, and Turkish culture pulse together. Today, fans fill its seats with songs and energy, but this stadium’s roots go back over a century.

Adım Adım

Long before the stadium, this ground was known as Papazın Çayırı—the priest’s meadow—a wide green field where local youths and early teams gathered to play football in the early nineteen hundreds. By the year nineteen hundred eight, the land was transformed into Turkey’s first official league football field. This marked the start of Istanbul’s organized football history.

Furkan A.

Over the years, the stadium changed hands and names, reflecting political tides and club rivalries. It was called Union Club Field, then İttihatspor Field, as various clubs, including Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş, all called it home. After World War One, changes in the country’s politics led to the land being transferred to the state, but it soon became the home of Fenerbahçe. In the nineteen thirties, under the guidance of Şükrü Saracoğlu—then both club president and later Turkey’s fifth prime minister—the club purchased it. Saracoğlu’s role is so vital that his name now graces the stadium.

Bayram AKTAŞ

Renovations over the decades transformed the stadium into a modern arena, blending tradition with technology. Today, its hybrid grass field and more than forty seven thousand seats provide a spectacular setting for football. VIP areas, suites, and a spacious museum underline its innovation and hospitality.

Salih Gülücü

Memorable moments include the last ever UEFA Cup Final in two thousand nine, when the stadium welcomed fans from across Europe for a historic night of football.

Outside, you’ll find bronze statues and busts of icons like Atatürk, Lefter Küçükandonyadis, Can Bartu, and Alex, each honoring figures central to Fenerbahçe and Turkish sports.

Fans treat it as sacred ground—each matchday is alive with colors, songs, and emotion, making the Ülker Stadium an experience deeply woven into Istanbul’s urban and cultural fabric.