| Founded | 1904 |
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| Folded | 1959 |
| Country | Turkey |
| Number of teams | various |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Istanbul Shield (1929–39) Istanbul Football Cup (1942–47) |
| Last champions | Fenerbahçe (16th title) (1958–59) |
| Most championships | Fenerbahçe (16 titles) |
The Istanbul Football League (Turkish: İstanbul Futbol Ligi) was founded as a regional football league under the name Constantinople Football Association League by James La Fontaine and Henry Pears in Istanbul, the capital of the former Ottoman Empire, in 1904. The Istanbul League was the first football organization ever in the Ottoman Empire and later Turkey. In the inaugural 1904–05 season the matches between the four teams, Moda FC, HMS Imogene, Elpis FC, and Cadi-Keuy FC were played on Sundays, leading to the name of the league, Istanbul Sunday League. Henry Pears, an Englishman and one of the three founders, promised to ultimately award the shield to the club with the most championships won during the initial 10 years.
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The Istanbul Friday League was founded in 1915 and replaced the Istanbul Sunday League. Seven teams participated in its inaugural 1915–16 season. From 1923–24 to 1950–51 the league was called Istanbul League. The name was later changed and became Istanbul Professional League in the 1952 season, as professionalism was introduced by the Turkish Football Federation in 1951.
Fenerbahçe are the most successful club, having won the league a record 16 times in total.
Champions
| Season | Winners (number of titles) | Runners-up | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1904–05 | HMS Imogene FC (1) | Moda FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1905–06 | Cadi-Keuy FC (1) | HMS Imogene FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1906–07 | Cadi-Keuy FC (2) | Moda FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1907–08 | Moda FC (1) | Cadi-Keuy FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1908–09 | Galatasaray SK (1) | Moda FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1909–10 | Galatasaray SK (2) | Strugglers FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1910–11 | Galatasaray SK (3) | Progress FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1911–12 | Fenerbahçe SK (1) | Rumblers FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1912–13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1913–14 | Fenerbahçe SK (2) | Altınordu İdman Yurdu | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1914–15 | Galatasaray SK (4) | Üsküdar Anadolu SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1914–15 | Fenerbahçe SK (3) | Türk İdman Ocağı | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1915–16 | Galatasaray SK (5) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1916–17 | Altınordu İdman Yurdu (1) | Üsküdar Anadolu SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1917–18 | Altınordu İdman Yurdu (2) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1918–19 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1919–20 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1920–21 | Fenerbahçe SK (4) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1921–22 | Galatasaray SK (6) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1922–23 | Fenerbahçe SK (5) | Altınordu İdman Yurdu | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1923–24 | Beşiktaş JK (1) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1924–25 | Galatasaray SK(7) | Vefa SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1925–26 | Galatasaray SK(8) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1926–27 | Galatasaray SK(9) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1927–28 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1928–29 | Galatasaray SK (10) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1929–30 | Fenerbahçe SK (6) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1930–31 | Galatasaray SK (11) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1931–32 | İstanbulspor (1) | Süleymaniye FC | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1932–33 | Fenerbahçe SK (7) | Beşiktaş JK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1933–34 | Beşiktaş JK (2) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1934–35 | Fenerbahçe SK (8) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1935–36 | Fenerbahçe SK (9) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1936–37 | Fenerbahçe SK (10) | Güneş SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1937–38 | Güneş SK (1) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1938–39 | Beşiktaş JK (3) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1939–40 | Beşiktaş JK (4) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1940–41 | Beşiktaş JK (5) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1941–42 | Beşiktaş JK (6) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1942–43 | Beşiktaş JK (7) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1943–44 | Fenerbahçe SK (11) | Beşiktaş JK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1944–45 | Beşiktaş JK (8) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1945–46 | Beşiktaş JK (9) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1946–47 | Fenerbahçe SK (12) | Vefa SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1947–48 | Fenerbahçe SK (13) | Beşiktaş JK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1948–49 | Galatasaray SK (12) | Beşiktaş JK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1949–50 | Beşiktaş JK (10) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1950–51 | Beşiktaş JK (11) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1952 | Beşiktaş JK (12) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1952–53 | Fenerbahçe SK (14) | Beşiktaş JK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1953–54 | Beşiktaş JK (13) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1954–55 | Galatasaray SK (13) | Beşiktaş JK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1955–56 | Galatasaray SK (14) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1956–57 | Fenerbahçe SK (15) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1957–58 | Galatasaray SK (15) | Fenerbahçe SK | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1958–59 | Fenerbahçe SK (16) | Galatasaray SK | |||||||||||||||||||
Istanbul Sunday League (İstanbul Pazar Ligi)
Cadikeuy Football Club 1905-06 Champion
Moda FC 1907-08 Champion
Galatasaray SK 1908-09 Champion
Galatasaray SK 1909-10 Champion
Galatasaray SK 1910-11 Champion
Fenerbahçe SK 1911-12 Champion
Fenerbahçe SK 1913-14 Champion
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Istanbul Friday League (İstanbul Cuma Ligi)
Galatasaray SK 1915-16 Champion
Altınordu İdman Yurdu 1916-17 and 1917-18 Champion
Fenerbahçe SK 1920-21 Champion
Galatasaray SK 1921-22 Champion
Fenerbahçe SK 1922-23 Champion
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Istanbul League (İstanbul Ligi)
Beşiktaş JK 1923-24 Champion
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Galatasaray SK 1924-25 Champion
Galatasaray SK 1925-26 Champion
Galatasaray SK 1926-27 Champion
1928-29 Galatasaray SK Champion
Galatasaray SK 1930-31 Champion
Istanbulspor 1931-32 Champion
Besiktas JK 1938-39 Champion
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