Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, Galatasaray Sports Club), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair basketball, volleyball, water polo, handball, athletics, swimming, rowing, sailing, judo, bridge, motorsport, equestrian, esports, and chess. Galatasaray S.K. is among the key members of the Galatasaray Community Cooperation Committee together with Galatasaray University and the prestigious Galatasaray High School.
The football branch of Galatasaray has accumulated the most Süper Lig (26), Turkish Cup (19), and Turkish Super Cup (17) titles in Turkey, thus making them the most decorated football club in Turkey, as those competitions are the top nationwide professional leagues and cups within the Turkish football system that is recognized and accounted for in accordance with the regulations set by the Turkish Football Federation and UEFA.
In the year 2000, Galatasaray also claimed the UEFA Cup title by defeating Arsenal F.C. and the UEFA Super Cup by defeating Real Madrid C.F. These accomplishments make Galatasaray the only Turkish football club to have reached that level of European success in the history of Turkish Football.
The club's wheelchair basketball team won the Champions Cup in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014. They also won the Kitakyushu Champions Cup and became world champions in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012. Galatasaray women's basketball team won the 2013–14 EuroLeague Women and FIBA Eurocup in 2009 and 2018. Galatasaray men's basketball team claimed their first EuroCup championship after defeating Strasbourg in 2016.
Etymology Galatasaray () is a quarter in Karaköy in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn. Its name comes from that of Galata, which may in turn have derived from Galatai (meaning the "Galatians"), as the Celtic tribes were thought to have camped at Galata during the Hellenistic period before settling in Galatia in central Anatolia. Galatasaray translates directly as "Galata Palace" (saray means "palace" in Persian). Galatasaray High School, established in the area in 1481, was the progenitor of Galatasaray S.K. as well as other institutions of Galatasaray Community.
Galatasaray is a compound word and is pronounced as such, with a very brief pause between the two words. There is no diminutive form of the club's name. Fans refer to the club either by its full name or by its nickname Cim-Bom(-Bom)—pronounced )—of uncertain etymology. However, the shortened form "Gala" is sometimes used by English speakers.
History
Galatasaray SK was founded in October 1905 (the exact day is disputed, but is traditionally accepted as "17 Teşrinievvel 1321" according to the Islamic Rumi calendar, which corresponds to 30 October 1905 (according to the Gregorian calendar) by Ali Sami Yen and other students of Galatasaray High School (a high school in Istanbul which was established in 1481) as a football club. Ali Sami Yen, who became Galatasaray SK's first president and was given the club's membership number "1", was the son of Şemseddin Sami (Frashëri), an Ottoman writer, philosopher, and playwright of ethnic Albanian origin, and a prominent figure of the Rilindja Kombëtare, the National Renaissance movement of Albania.Bozkurt Güvenç, Türk Kimliği, Kültür Bakanlığı, 1993, p. 32.
The club's first match was against Cadi Keuy FRC and Galatasaray won this game with a score of 2–0. There were discussions about the club's 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), which the club adopted as "GalataSaray" for their official name. 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.
Along 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 founding in 1905, the colors of the Galatasaray Sports Club were red and white. These are the colors of the modern Turkish flag, but are also the colors of the flag of the Young Turk Revolution. Therefore, despite recent governmental reform, this inspiration made the repressive administration of the day uncomfortable, and said administration hounded the footballers until the colors were (temporarily) changed to yellow and dark blue. After more reforms in 1908, new colors were again chosen: 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 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.
Turkcell Super League, the top-flight professional league in Turkish nationwide football, and the most popular sporting competition in the country, formed in 1959. Galatasaray joined all seasons and won 24 league titles since then.
The Turkish Football Federation started 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 18 trophies since then.
Crest
Galatasaray's first emblem was a figure of a spread-winged eagle with a football in its beak, drawn by 333 (Galatasaray High School student number) Şevki Ege. This was replaced in 1923 by the current "Ghayn-Sin" crest, designed by Ayetullah Emin. The new design included the letters "GS" in intertwined yellow and red colors, with the harmonious use of geometric lines. This composition, first used in a weekly magazine published by Ayetullah Emin and Şinasi Şahingiray, was very well received. Following this, a proposal was made to adopt it as the official emblem. The proposal was unanimously accepted amidst applause. The old letters, Ghayn and Sin, were later replaced by the letters G and S with the adoption of the Latin alphabet.
Team colours and kit
Galatasaray wore red and white colours when founded, then played in yellow and black during the 1907–1908 season.
For a match against the football team of the Royal Navy cruiser , played on 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 were commissioned for the task of determining the new team colours. After we had been in and out of several shops, we saw two different elegant-looking wool materials in Fat Yanko's store at Bahçekapısı (between Eminönü and Sirkeci in Istanbul, now called Bahçekapı). One of them was quite dark red, resembling the cherry colour, 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 of the beauty of a goldfinch. We thought we were looking at the colours 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 colours were also inspired from the roses which Gül Baba offered to Sultan Bayezid II.
Departments Current departments Sport Teams Football Galatasaray S.K. (football) Galatasaray S.K. (women's football) Basketball Galatasaray S.K. (men's basketball) Galatasaray S.K. (women's basketball) Wheelchair basketball Galatasaray S.K. (wheelchair basketball) Volleyball Galatasaray S.K. (men's volleyball) Galatasaray S.K. (women's volleyball) Water polo Galatasaray S.K. (men's water polo) Galatasaray S.K. (women's water polo) Athletics Galatasaray S.K. (athletics) Swimming Galatasaray S.K. (swimming) Rowing Galatasaray S.K. (rowing) Sailing Galatasaray S.K. (sailing) Judo Galatasaray S.K. (judo) Bridge Galatasaray S.K. (bridge) Equestrian Galatasaray S.K. (equestrian) Chess Galatasaray S.K. (chess) Gymnastics Galatasaray S.K. (gymnastics) Tennis Galatasaray S.K. (tennis team; to be opened soon) Esports Galatasaray S.K. (VALORANT)
Defunct departments
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 tennis 1925 Handball 1926 İstanbul Championship: Winner (8) 1945 to 1955 Turkish Championship: Winner (2) Cricket 1926 Fornication 1928 Aviation & gliding, 1931 Skiing & mountaineering, 1931 Motocross 1931 Fencing 1931 Water ballet 1995 Superleague Formula 2008
Reactivated departments Tennis 1910 Gymnastics 1868
Achievements in major competitions Sport Teams Status Year Football 1999–2000 UEFA Cup Winner 1999–00 Football 2000 UEFA Super Cup Winner 2000 Wheelchair Basketball IWBF Champions Cup Winner 2007–08Wheelchair BasketballKitakyushu Champions Cup Winner2008 Basketball Women 2008–09 EuroCup Women Winner 2008–09 Wheelchair Basketball IWBF Champions Cup Winner 2008–09 Basketball Women 2009 FIBA Europe SuperCup Women Finalist 2009Wheelchair BasketballKitakyushu Champions Cup Winner 2009 Wheelchair Basketball IWBF Champions Cup Winner 2010–11BridgeEuropean Championship Winner2010–11Wheelchair BasketballKitakyushu Champions Cup Winner2011 Volleyball Women 2011–12 Women's CEV Cup Finalist 2011–12 Wheelchair Basketball IWBF Champions Cup Finalist 2011–12Wheelchair BasketballKitakyushu Champions Cup Winner2012 Wheelchair Basketball IWBF Champions Cup Winner 2012–13 Basketball Women 2013–14 EuroLeague Women Winner 2013–14 Wheelchair Basketball IWBF Champions Cup Winner 2013–14 Judo Women European Judo Club Championships 2014 – Golden League Women Winner 2014 Volleyball Women 2015–16 Women's CEV Cup Finalist 2015–16Volleyball Men2016 BVA Cup Winner2016 Basketball Men Eurocup Winner 2015–16 Wheelchair Basketball André Vergauwen Cup Winner 2016–17 Wheelchair Basketball André Vergauwen Cup Winner 2017–18 Basketball Women 2017–18 EuroCup Women Winner 2017–18 Basketball Women 2018 FIBA Europe SuperCup Women Finalist 2018 Volleyball Men 2018–19 CEV Cup Finalist 2018–19 Volleyball Women 2020–21 Women's CEV Cup Finalist 2020–21Judo WomenEuropean Judo Club Championships 2021 – Golden League Women Winner2021Basketball Women2022–23 EuroCup Women Finalist2022-23Volleyball Women2023 BVA Cup Winner2023Water Polo Men2023–24 LEN Challenger Cup Winner2023-24Volleyball Women2024 BVA Cup Winner2024Water Polo Women2024–25 European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup Finalist2024-25Basketball Men2024–25 Basketball Champions League Finalist2024-25 Wheelchair Basketball André Vergauwen Cup Winner 2024-25Water Polo Men2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup Winner2025-26 Volleyball Women 2025–26 Women's CEV Cup Winner 2025–26Basketball Women2025–26 EuroLeague Women Finalist2025–26Wheelchair BasketballAndré Vergauwen Cup Finalist2025–26
Facilities Stadiums