Last updated on .
Beşiktaş Stadium (Beşiktaş Stadyumu), currently known as Tüpraş Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is the home ground of the Beşiktaş football club. It’s located in the Dolmabahçe area of Istanbul, Turkey,
History
Construction on Vodafone Park started in October 2013. It replaced İnönü Stadium but incorporated the Eski Açık stand into the project. The stadium was designed by DB Architects as the first green stadium in Turkey. It has a capacity of 41,903. There are 147 suites and 186 press seats. Also inside is the Beşiktaş JK Museum, the Beşiktaş Shop, and high-end restaurants. Construction finished in 2016.
The first match took place on April 11, 2016, between Beşiktaş and Bursaspor. It ended with a 3-2 Beşiktaş victory.
Stadium Tour
Vodafone Park offers the first stadium tour in Turkey. Guided tours for foreign adults are 280₺ or 400₺ including admission to the Beşiktaş JK Museum (as of March 2024). Tours last about 90 minutes. There are no tours on Mondays or game days.
Tours are in Turkish, but foreign visitors can follow the tour with an audioguide. Numbers in each section of the tour indicate which chapter to listen to on the audioguide.
Start of the Tour
The tour started with a history of Beşiktaş. As the only foreigner on the tour, I listened to the audioguide while the guide spoke to the Turkish visitors. We then walked up a stairwell with games from Beşiktaş championship seasons listed on each stair. At the top, we got our first view of the field.
Next, we walked down a corridor to an upper level at midfield. Again, we got fantastic views of the field.
Press Area
The guide showed us the press area, where members of the media sit during games. Some seats had headphones and others had personal TV screens. Each seat with a TV screen was labeled with an assigned media outlet.
Behind the press seats is the press lounge, filled with couches and tables. Historic radio calls from Beşiktaş games are highlighted on one of the walls.
Suites
We then walked to the suite level, where we were able to peek into one of the luxury suites. Nearby is a concession area where several trophies are displayed on the wall.
Service Tunnel
After walking down a stairwell with famous coaches listed on the walls, we entered the service tunnel. Visiting buses and players drive there cars through the tunnel to safely enter the stadium. There are some impressive murals painted on the walls.
Player Entrance
We walked through the player entrance to experience how players enter Vodafone Park. Beşiktaşk is spelled out on the wall just inside the entrance. It’s a combination of the words Beşiktaş and love. This was a popular photo op for Beşiktaş fans on the tour.
Media Room
From there, we went through the media entrance to the media room. We were able to sit at the desk where players and coaches give press conferences. Since Beşiktaş was playing in the UEFA Europa League at the time, the desk featured the Europa League logo.
Beşiktaş Dressing Room
Next, we walked to the Beşiktaş dressing room. The first room was a small training area where payers warm up before the game.
The next room was the dressing room with player lockers. Guests were able to take photos next to the locker of their favorite players. A jacuzzi is attached to the dressing room.
Visitors Dressing Room
We then went to the visitors dressing room, which was similar to the Beşiktaş dressing room. It also has a jacuzzi. Each locker featured a football shirt of famous players who have played against Beşiktaş. Some of the players include Wayne Rooney, Rivaldo, and Clarence Seedorf.
Field
After the dressing rooms, we walked through the players tunnel to the field. We were able to see the field as the players see it. We also had the opportunity to sit on the benches.
Next, we walked down the sideline and into the stands. I admired the field from the sidelines as we walked. Looking up into the stands, I spotted a banner with a photo of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who was a big Beşiktaş fan.
After walking through a section of the stands, we got one final look at the field.
Wall of Honor
At the end of the tour, we walked past a wall featuring the most famous number 10s in Beşiktaş history, then past one of the stadium exits.
Another wall featured the names of the best goalkeepers to play for the club. The Wall of Honor listed Beşiktaş players who also played for their national team.
Conclusion
Overall, it was a fun tour. I felt it was a little disorganized although the audioguide was helpful. I also enjoyed getting to see Vodafone Park from behind the scenes.
