nonu Stadi<\/a>, which had been the home of the club since 1947, but lacked modern facilities.<\/p>\nWhile Inonu Stadi underwent a major\u00a0renovation in 2004, the club kept investigating the possibilities for a larger redevelopment or construction of a complete new arena, but the stadium’s protected status as a historical monument delayed the plans. Finally, in 2013, the go ahead for a new stadium was given, leaving only the protected facade in place.<\/p>\n
It took three years to build the new stadium, and on 10 April 2016 the Vodafone Arena officially opened with an inauguration ceremony. The first match was played a day later, a league match between Besiktas and Bursaspor (3-2).<\/p>\n
In December 2016, two bombs exploded outside of the stadium after a Besiktas game, killing 38 police officers and 8 civilians.<\/p>\n
How to get to the Vodafone Arena<\/h3>\n
The Vodafone Arena is located slightly north-east of Istanbul\u2019s city centre on the banks of the Bosphorus next to Dolmabah\u00e7e Palace. It lies about 2.5 kilometres from Galata bridge and 1 kilometre from Taksim Square, from where it is a 15-minute walk to the stadium.<\/p>\n
Taksim Square can be reached by metro (line 2), historic tramway 5, and is served by many buses and dolmus minibuses.<\/p>\n
Boats from the Asian side of the river arrive at Kabatas, from where it is a 5-minute walk to the stadium. Kabatas is also served by (modern) tram line 1, which passes through Istanbul\u2019s historic Sultanahmet area.<\/p>\n
Address: 1 Kadirgalar Street, Visnezade, Besiktas, Istanbul, 34357<\/p>\n
![\"Vodafone](\"http:\/\/www.stadiumguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/vodafonearena_top.jpg\")
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