EOCHome to more than 15.7 million people, Istanbul is one of Europe’s most captivating cities. Basketball offers a different way to explore it. Following Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Anadolu Efes takes you through very different neighbourhoods, from bustling cultural hubs to quieter residential areas beyond the usual tourist routes.
The journey begins in Beyoğlu, where Galatasaray was founded in 1905. The club’s birthplace, Galatasaray High School, stands on İstiklal Avenue, one of Istanbul’s best-known and busiest pedestrian streets. From here, you can walk to Taksim, discover theatres, galleries and historic buildings, or explore the cafés and shops tucked into the surrounding streets. While the club’s identity remains closely tied to this cosmopolitan neighbourhood, its basketball team plays at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in the district of Bakırköy.
From Beyoğlu to Kadıköy, Beşiktaş and Zeytinburnu, Istanbul’s neighbourhoods bring distinct identities to a city shaped by contrasts.
To explore Fenerbahçe territory, cross the Bosphorus to Kadıköy, one of the main hubs on Istanbul’s Asian side. Around the market, Bahariye Street and the streets leading towards Moda, you will find restaurants, bookshops, street art and a lively nightlife scene. Moda’s waterfront is a favourite spot for locals to run, cycle or catch the sunset. The team plays at Ülker Sports Arena in nearby Ataşehir, a much more modern district shaped by skyscrapers, shopping centres and residential developments.
Back on the European shore, Beşiktaş offers a different atmosphere. Its square and market form one of the city’s liveliest gathering places, surrounded by small restaurants, food stalls and bars, with ferry connections to the Asian side close by. Dolmabahçe Palace, the Bosphorus waterfront and the club’s football stadium are all nearby. The basketball team plays further north in the district, at Akatlar Sports Complex. Quiet and residential, Akatlar sits close to Etiler and Levent, offering a glimpse of a calmer Istanbul away from the main tourist trails.
Anadolu Efes is less closely associated with a particular neighbourhood, so its arena provides the starting point. The team plays at the Basketball Development Center, a modern complex in Kazlıçeşme, within the district of Zeytinburnu. From here, you can explore the Marmara Sea waterfront, walk towards the ancient walls of Constantinople and visit Fişekhane, a former Ottoman factory dating from the 19th century that now brings together culture, dining and entertainment. Shaped by its industrial past, this area is undergoing significant urban renewal.
Together, these four teams trace a route through Istanbul’s varied urban landscapes. Beyoğlu reveals the city’s historic, cosmopolitan and constantly buzzing character, while Kadıköy offers creativity and a taste of everyday life on the Asian side. Beşiktaş brings lively streets together with a waterfront atmosphere and Bosphorus views, and Zeytinburnu combines historic heritage, industrial roots and new cultural spaces.
This connection between the city and basketball will take on a new dimension at the 2027 European Games, with 3×3 basketball among the programme’s 26 sports and disciplines. It is a fitting setting for the Games: a city where basketball connects neighbourhoods and generations on both sides of the Bosphorus.