BEŞİKTAŞ JİMNASTİK KULÜBÜ: The Black Eagles
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü is one of the "Big Three" professional sports clubs in Turkey, based in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. The club has a prestigious and pioneering history in Turkish sports.
Historical Roots and Identity
Foundation: Beşiktaş was founded in 1903, making it one of the oldest sports clubs in Turkey. It initially began as a gymnastics and wrestling club.
Official Registration: It became the first officially registered sports club in the Ottoman Empire in 1911. This historical status gives the club the unique right to feature the Turkish flag (Crescent and Star) on its crest.
Colors: The club colors are Black and White. It is believed these colors were adopted to mourn the soldiers lost during the Balkan Wars.
Nickname: The club is known as "Kara Kartallar" (The Black Eagles). This nickname was given by a fan during a dominant, undefeated league season in 1941, who shouted, "Look, the Black Eagles are attacking!"
Home Stadium: The team plays at Beşiktaş Park, a modern stadium built on the site of the former BJK İnönü Stadium, located right on the European side of the Bosphorus strait.
Fan Group: The passionate and politically active fan group is known as Çarşı.
Unique Records
Undefeated Champion: Beşiktaş is the only team in the history of the Süper Lig to win the championship title without a single defeat (during the 1991–92 season).
European Pioneer: They were the first Turkish club to compete in the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) in the 1956–57 season.
UEFA Group Stage Record: During the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League season, Beşiktaş became the first Turkish team to win its group, and the first to advance to the knockout stages undefeated.
