Galatasaray Logo

Galatasaray LogoGalatasaray Logo PNG

The Galatasaray logo demonstrates how an elite football club has grown up in an institution famous for its level of teaching, whose players are considered sports stars. The emblem says: if the university initially patronized the team, now it glorifies the alma mater.

Galatasaray: Brand overview

Founded:20 October 1905
Founder:Ali Sami Yen
Headquarters:
Istanbul, Turkey
Website:galatasaray.org

Galatasaray is a yellow and red Istanbul club, created based on the high school of the same name in 1905. The greatest philosophers, diplomats, prime ministers, and viziers were educated in this educational institution. And within its walls, student Ali Sami Yen founded a football team that expanded its influence until it became the most successful in Turkey.

The word “Galatasaray” literally means “Galata Palace.” At first, this was the name of a medieval Genoese fortress located in the Karaköy shopping district (formerly Galata).

Meaning and History

Galatasaray Logo History

The first emblem of the club was drawn by Şevki Ege, known as student number 333. He depicted a flying eagle with wide-spread wings. The bird was holding a soccer ball in its beak. But this graphic sign did not find support from the general public. The second symbol became more popular – an abstract one containing the Arabic letters “gayn” and “šin.” It became the basis for the modern monogram logo.

What is Galatasaray?

Galatasaray is a Turkish professional football club. It was founded in 1905 at the Galatasaray High School and initially consisted of students. Now, it is a successful team that has won prestigious awards both domestically and internationally. The club has won 22 Süper Lig titles, 18 Turkish Cups, and 16 Turkish Super Cups.

1905 – 1923

Galatasaray Logo 1905-1923

The original emblem with the letters “gayn” and “šin” was adopted at the Galatasaray’s fourth meeting. Its author is a talented student Ahmet Ayatullah, who published and illustrated Kara Kedi himself. The archive of his pencil drawings contained an abstraction: a figure consisting of the first letters of the words “Galata” and “Saray” (in Arabic).

Both the management of the club and its members liked the sketch. After minor revisions, the sketch became the official coat of arms of Galatasaray. It looked unusual: the round part of the yellow “šin” was in the lower half of the red “gayn.”

1923 – 1961

Galatasaray Logo 1923-1961

In the 1920s, language reform was carried out, due to which the European alphabet replaced the Arabic alphabet. This is how the “Ghayn-Šin” emblem got a modernized version with the letters “G” and “S.” It echoes the shape of the original: “G” stands for the bottom of “gayn,” and “S” is both the top of “gayn” and the bend of “šin.” The year the club was founded is written in the place where the letters merge: 1905. The monogram is placed in an oval with a wide yellow and black frame.

1961 – 1987

Galatasaray Logo 1961-1987

The letters no longer touch the rounded sides, although their position has generally not changed: “S” intersects “G” at the top, and “G” overlaps “S” at the bottom. The number “1905” has been reduced, the outline of the oval is thin and black.

1987 – 1993

Galatasaray Logo 1987-1993

The letters again fit tightly together, and even the dark outlines do not separate them. The inscription is shifted a little higher: it, as before, is opposite the horizontal stroke “G.” The black line around the oval became even thinner.

1993 – 2000

Galatasaray Logo 1993-2000

The designers changed the emblem’s composition, bringing the “G” to the front and leaving a small gap between the lower parts of the letters.

2000 – 2001

Galatasaray Logo 2000-2001

The oval disappeared, and the yellow “S” turned orange. Two five-pointed stars appeared above the monogram because Galatasaray had already won 10 football championships by that time.

2002 – 2018

Galatasaray Logo 2002-2018

The logo makers brought back the white oval by changing the outline color to blue. Also, they added another star on top to celebrate the club’s new sporting achievements.

2019 – today

Galatasaray Logo 2019-present

In 2019, a fourth star appeared over the monogrammed oval, marking the Turkish football team’s twentieth victory in the championship.

Galatasaray: Interesting Facts

Galatasaray is a big soccer club from Istanbul, Turkey, known for being good at soccer and having a long history. Here’s what makes Galatasaray special:

  1. Starting Up: In 1905, some students started the team to play soccer together. They named it after their school, which has an old and fancy name.
  2. Big Wins in Europe: In 2000, they were the first team from Turkey to win a major European soccer tournament. That year, they also beat Real Madrid, a super famous team, in another major match.
  3. Huge Rivalry: They have a big rivalry with another team called Fenerbahçe. The rivalry is huge because the teams are from different parts of Istanbul, and it’s about more than just soccer.
  4. Their Stadium: They play at the Türk Telekom Stadium, which gets loud and exciting during games. It even set a world record for being so loud in 2011.
  5. Winning a Lot: Galatasaray has won many games and trophies in Turkey, making them one of the best teams.
  6. Ali Sami Yen: Before moving to their new stadium, they played at a place named after their founder. It was known for being a tough place for other teams to play.
  7. More Than Soccer: They’re not just about soccer. They’re also good at basketball, volleyball, and other sports.
  8. Big Impact: Galatasaray means a lot to people in Turkey. It’s part of the country’s culture and has fans everywhere.
  9. School Ties: The soccer club and the school it was named after are still connected. The school is known for being good.
  10. Famous Players and Coaches: Some famous soccer players and coaches have played for Galatasaray, like Metin Oktay and Fatih Terim, whom people admire.

Galatasaray isn’t just a soccer team; it’s a big part of Turkey’s sports scene and culture, known for winning, a big rivalry, and having fans all over.

Font and Colors

Galatasaray Emblem

Galatasaray’s second logo, unlike the first one, turned out to be incredibly successful. Even though its structure is very simple: in most versions, the initials and the year of the club’s foundation are presented. At the very beginning, the Arabic letters “gayn” and “šin” were used. After the language reform, the designers changed them to “G” and “S,” trying to keep the monogram’s overall shape. This visual similarity underlines Istanbul’s geographical position, where two cultures collide: Arab (in the east of the Bosphorus Strait) and European (on the west side).

The European version of the monogram contains sans serif letters. They are not specific to any particular font: the designers adapted the “G” and “S” for the Galatasaray logo.

The color scheme is more thoughtful. It includes black (# 000000), white (#FFFFFF), yellow (# FDB912) and red (# A90432). The combination of red and yellow became the club’s official palette back in 1908. It is a reminder of the roses that poet Gül Baba presented to the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II.

Ali Sami Yen himself was responsible for the selection of shades. Before finding the right material for a football uniform, he visited several textile stores: one fabric was deep yellow with an orange touch. The other was dark red, almost cherry.

Galatasaray color codes

RedHex color:#a90432
RGB:169 4 50
CMYK:0 98 70 34
Pantone:PMS 200 C
YellowHex color:#fdB912
RGB:253 185 18
CMYK:0 4 20 70 27 93 1
Pantone:PMS 7549 C
BlackHex color:#000000
RGB:0 0 0
CMYK:0 0 0 100
Pantone:PMS Process Black C