Ataturk Olympic Stadium (Turkish: Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı) is a multi-purpose sports arena located in Istanbul, Turkey. It opened in 2002.
The stadium was originally built as the main venue for the XXIX Olympiad, which Istanbul was bidding to host. Situated on the western outskirts of the city, it is the largest stadium in the country. Construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2002, with plans to host the 2008 Olympics. However, Turkey did not win the bid, and the games were ultimately held in Beijing. The total construction cost was approximately $140 million.
The stadium is named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey's first president.
The structure's two steel roofs, weighing 2,800 and 1,300 tons, were manufactured by Tekfen at its factory in Ceyhan, Adana Province. The crescent-shaped western roof is constructed of steel trusses supported by two reinforced concrete pillars with a span of 196 meters.
For easy access to the stadium, there are 134 access roads and 148 exits. The arena has a capacity of 80,000 spectators, and the security system allows for the evacuation of all spectators in approximately 7.5 minutes in the event of an emergency. The complex includes two training pitches, connected to the stadium by an underground tunnel.
Under the western stand is a six-story shopping mall (three levels of which are below ground level) with a total area of 42,200 square meters.
We usually send one letter a month and another one on the eve of big holidays.