Tennis in Republican Turkey and Ankara: The Emergence of a Sport as a Society and Space

Abstract

In the first years of the Republic, with the intention of spreading Body Training activities throughout the country, organizations that are responsible for sports management are established, various sports branches are included in the curricula of the Peoples' Houses and educational institutions, articles and books on sports branches and fields are written and projects for new sports halls and centers are prepared. In line with the goals of modernization of the country, traditional sports as well as sports of western origin, like tennis, played mostly by non-Muslim citizens and foreigners resident in Istanbul and Izmir in the last period of the Ottoman Empire, also acquired new places and supporters. During the first thirty years of the Republic, tennis continues to be played in private clubs and sports facilities that have increased in number, becoming progressively popular with the participation of Turkish athletes as competitors as well. Faced with increasing interest and needs, new club buildings are built, first in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. This article presents a framework on the history of tennis sport in Turkey and its proliferation in the first thirty years of Republic, and focuses on the leading tennis clubs established within this time frame and the new club buildings designed for these clubs. In this context, it discusses the 'modernist' architecture of Ankara Tennis Club building in detail.