The Historical Peninsula of Istanbul
PART 1
PART 2
The Historical Peninsula of Istanbul - part 2
Yükleyen sultanahmet1. - İlginç seyahat videolarını izleyin ve yeni yerleri keşfedin.
The Historical Peninsula of Istanbul
Yükleyen sultanahmet1. - Seyahat videolarıyla yeni yerleri keşfedin.
PART 3
The Historical Peninsula of Istanbul - part 3
Yükleyen sultanahmet1. - İlginç seyahat videolarını izleyin ve yeni yerleri keşfedin.
Serpentine Column and the Constantine Column
The Serpentine Column, also known as Plataean Tripod, is one of the most ancient columns made of bronze. Constantine the Great brought to Istanbul from the temple of Apollo (Delphi), Greece where it was originally erected way back in 479 B.C. This 8 m high column with serpent heads was quite intact till the 17th century.
Serpintine Column in Sultanahmet (Hippodrome) istanbul old city
This ancient piece of Greek antiquity is believed to have the longest literary history, probably more than 2.487 years old. Originally, this ancient column was an offering or a trophy made in 478 BC to the Apollo at Delphi comprising of a golden bowl and a golden tripod. The offering was made following the victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the Battle of Plataea to pay respect to Apollo for this stupendous win.
The original bronze column has names of 31 Greek cities inscribed on its base. These were the cities that took part in the battle against the Persians. There column also had a gold pot on the heads of the snakes. Although, originally, the Serpent Column was nearly 8 m in height, now, just 5.30 m survives. The Serpent Column was brought in the 4th century AD to the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul) by Constantine the Great for decorating the Hippodrome. It was placed at Delphi just near the Altar
Herodotus had stated in his Histories that in 479 B.C.E., following the end of the Battle of Plataea, “...when all the treasure had been collected, they reserved a tenth of it for the god of Delphi, a tenth for the god of Olympia, and a tenth for the god of the Isthmus. From the first tenth was dedicated a golden tripod which sits on the bronze three-headed serpent very close to the altar..." 4.
The Serpent Column happens to be not just the most ancient but also the most referenced artifacts of the history. Some of the prominent writers who referred to this great artifact include Herodotus, Edward Gibbon, Thucydides and Pausania the traveler.
There are a number of stories revealing the story of how actually the heads of this Serpent Column were broken from the column with one of the stories saying that it was Mehmed II who broke the column as he entered the city. According to yet another story, the Latin crusaders took away the golden tripod along with numerous works of art along with them following the sacking of the city of Constantinople. Meanwhile, one can still see one of the heads of the serpent preserved in the Archeological Museum of Sultanahmet.
Constantine Column (Cemberlitas Column) was also brought by Constantinus I from the Temple of Apollo between the period 325-328 AD. Erected just in the centre of Forum Constantini and located on a hill in the city, this column is a symbol of the end of the tradition of Pagans on the lands of Byzantine.
Although, originally this column was nearly 35 m in height. However, following its devastation due to extreme weather and fires over the years, this column was re-enforced with iron rings by Sultan Mustafa II. The restoration work of this column is underway with the Metropolitan Municipality.
Sultanahmet Square (The Hippodrome)
Sultanahmet Square (Sultanahmet Meydani) earlier known as the ‘Hippodrome of Constantinople’ was the social and the sports hub of Constantinople. Presently, only a few parts of the original structure survive. Another name for this place in the city of Istanbul is ‘Atmeydani’ which means Horse Square in Turkish.
Hippodrome Constantiople Sultanahmet Square Old Istanbul
Coming from the Greek word ‘hippos’ (horse) and ‘dromos (way), it means a place for horse racing which was a favorite pastime in the Roman, Hellenistic and Byzantine period. Apart from horse racing, chariot racing was another favorite pastime of the ancient people.
The place which is now under the shadow of Sultanahmet Mosque was a favorite venue for horse-racing in the Hippodrome during the Byzantine era. Originally built by Septimus Severus, the hippodrome was further expanded by Contantine the Great in 203. According to some historians, the hippodrome had the capacity for thirty thousand spectators, while some claim the sitting capacity to be sixty thousand.
Chariot races were the hot attraction of the hippodrome in the Byzantine and Roman period. Moreover, the place was not just a sports hub but also the central point for all entertainment, cultural and political meetings and events. A number of animal fights were held at this place. However, after the 10th century, the place lost its past glory especially in 1204 when the Latins invaded the city.
The Hippodrome was originally built in U shape while the imperial box was built as a balcony to accommodate the audiences. Atop the roof of the imperial box were four bronze horses. The hippodrome was divided into two parts by a low lying wall which exhibited important monuments brought from various corners of the empire. The place was a venue for races between wealthy chariot drivers till politics intervened with the game resulting in bloody clashes between the members of the races drivers. Hence, this resulted in a number of civil wars within the city including the bloody Nika riots in 532 when nearly 30,000 people lost their lives. Apart from loss of lives, a number of famous historical buildings also got devastated including the Hagia Sophia.
The present ground level is higher by 4 to 5 metres than the original ground level of the Hippodrome. The Sultanahmet Square has three monuments namely the Serpent Column, the Egyptian Obelisk and the Milyonbar (the Walled Obelisk). A number of ceremonies and coronations were held at this place in the Turkish period. Today, it is considered to be a favorite tourist attraction in the city and houses many restaurants and hotels.
At present, the vast Hippodrome is nowhere to be found as just the southern end of this great historical monument survives now. This has been decorated with vaults.