Merzan Şehir Stadyumu

Hakkari, Turkey

Formerly: Hakkari City Stadium

On the map

Ataşehir Belediyespor (red) vs Hakkarigücü Spor (blue/white) in the 2018-19 Turkish Women's First League match at Yenisahra Stadium. CeeGee · CC BY-SA 4.0

Beşiktaş J.K. (black/gray) vs Hakkarigücü Spor (blue/white) match in the 2018-19 Turkish Women's First Football League in the İsmet İnönü Stadium, Istanbul. CeeGee · CC BY-SA 4.0

Merzan Şehir Stadyumu sits in the Pehlivan Mahallesi neighbourhood of Hakkari. The field is artificial turf, laid down as part of a project that included tribunes and changing rooms.

The ground replaced the old Hakkari Şehir Stadyumu in the Bağlar neighbourhood, which was demolished in 2014 after roughly thirty years of operation. The new venue opened in the Merzan district, hence the name change from city to Merzan.

Local clubs like Hakkari Zapspor call it home, and it hosted a Ziraat Turkish Cup preliminary match in August 2016 when Hakkarispor FK beat Tatvan Gençlerbirliği 3-1 after extra time. The stadium also played host to a Children’s Games Festival organised by the municipality, which suggests it serves a community role beyond the ninety minutes of a league game.

Figures for capacity bounce between 500 and 5,000 depending on which database you consult, and the original opening date of this specific building remains unclear.