Kahramanmaraş Stadyumu – design description

How can the Kahramanmaraş Stadium project be summarised?

Plans to build a new stadium in Kahramanmaraş date back to 2022, but preparations for the investment were abruptly halted by the powerful earthquake of 6 February 2023, which struck the Turkish–Syrian border region.

Instead of renderings of a modern arena, the media circulated images of the old stadium filled with temporary shelters for the victims of the disaster. Once the tent city was dismantled, the entire facility was demolished, leaving the half-million city of Kahramanmaraş without a stadium.

Initially, a new stadium was out of the question, but as the city began to recover, the project was brought back to the table. The tender was awarded in the summer of 2025, and construction works started soon afterwards. They are scheduled for completion before the end of 2026.

The new venue will be a football-specific stadium with a seating capacity of 17,500. Externally, the arena will take the shape of an oval, contemporary-looking form. The project also includes a sports hall and an Olympic-size swimming pool.

How did the plans for a new stadium in Kahramanmaraş emerge?

For many years, the main stadium in Kahramanmaraş was the 12 Şubat Stadium — opened in 1970 and located relatively close to the city centre. In 2001, a second venue was introduced in the southern part of the city: the Hanefi Mahçiçek Stadium, which could hold just under 10,000 spectators.

Two decades after its opening, it was determined that the Hanefi Mahçiçek Stadium no longer met seismic standards, and it was demolished in early 2022. However, the facility was intended to be replaced with a new, more modern, football-specific stadium.

The design was completed in 2022 by Alper Aksoy Architects. Alongside the stadium, the project included an Olympic-size swimming pool and a sports hall, both planned on the site of the former stadium, with the new stadium located immediately adjacent to them.

What impact did the 2023 earthquake have on the construction of the new stadium in Kahramanmaraş?

The first attempt to find a contractor was made in November 2022, but no company submitted a bid. A second tender was launched on February 1, 2023, yet again no firms came forward to build the stadium.

Just five days later, on February 6, 2023, the city was struck by a powerful earthquake, with its epicentre located in the province of Kahramanmaraş. Many people lost their lives, and numerous buildings were completely destroyed.

Both 12 Şubat Stadyumu and the site of the demolished Hanefi Mahçiçek Stadyumu were turned into temporary shelters for those affected by the disaster. Under these circumstances, any plans to build a new stadium were naturally put on hold.

Once the tent city at 12 Şubat Stadyumu was dismantled, that stadium, too, was demolished, leaving the half-million city of Kahramanmaraş without a major stadium.

When will the new stadium in Kahramanmaraş be built?

The project was revisited only two years later, once large-scale reconstruction works were underway across the city. In the summer of 2025, a tender for the main contractor was finally awarded to Ahes İnşaat. Construction began in August 2025 and is scheduled for completion before the end of 2026.

The investment is being carried out by the Housing Development Administration of Türkiye (Toplu Konut İdaresi Başkanlığı, TOKİ), in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the municipal authorities. The cost of building the new stadium is set at 2 billion Turkish lira.

A separate page provides an overview of the construction progress of Kahramanmaraş Stadyumu

What will the new Kahramanmaraş Stadyumu be like?

The stadium will be built according to plans prepared back in 2022. The project is to be implemented within the area of the former Hanefi Mahçiçek Stadyumu, demolished in early 2022. An indoor sports hall and an Olympic-size swimming pool will occupy the site of the old stadium, while the new stadium will rise immediately adjacent to them.

The new Kahramanmaraş Stadyumu will be a football-specific venue with a capacity of 17,500 spectators. It will take the form of an elegant, modern oval structure, with all seating areas fully covered by a roof. Parking areas and training pitches are also planned around the stadium.