The Hippodrome of Constantinople | Sultanahmet Square of Istanbul
Blue Mosque and Obelisk in Sultanahmet Istanbul Old City
Seeing people enjoying their Sunday afternoons on the calm lush green lawns of Hippodrome, it is quite difficult to believe that this is the same place where numerous royal celebrations, chariot races and deadly massacres took place many centuries ago.
And when the park is adorned with white lights during the month of Ramadan along with elephant rides arranged for kids, all the signs of its complex past are completely wiped away. It has been aptly named as ‘At Meydani’ or ‘Sultanahmet Meydani’ (Horse Square or Horse Grounds in Turkish) due to its function in the Ottoman period.
The word hippodrome owes its name to the two Greek words namely ‘hippos’ meaning horse and ‘dromos’ meaning racing path or track. The face that the favorite pastimes of the people in the ancient times were chariot racing and horse racing made hippodromes a peculiar and prominent feature of almost all the Greek cities in the Byzantine, Roman and even the Hellenistic periods.
The first Hippodrome was built in the Greek times when the city was called Byzantium. The Hippodrome was the heart and soul of not just the political life but also the sporting life of Constantinople (the city of Constantine the Great). It was a Greek stadium that was a venue for several horse races as well as polo games on the track built by Septimus Severus between 203 A.D. and 324 A.D.
Constantine the Great enlarged and renovated the Hippodrome that was modeled on Rome’s the Circus Maximus. He used several stone walls and vaults for providing support. The Hippodrome continued to be a scene of riots and games in the 500 years of the history of Ottoman Empire.
The only difference between the two hippodromes was that just four chariot races could be organized at a time in the Roman Circus while the Greek hippodrome had the capacity to hold more than ten races at a time as the size of the latter was larger than the former, measuring nearly 400 feet.
The Hippodrome was nearly 427 feet wide and 1476 feet long. It had 40 rows of seats and a capacity of accommodating nearly 100,000 supporters. Due to political rivalries between the various merchant guilds including Greens, Blues, Reds and Whites. The result was the Nika Revolt in 532 A.D. which eventually caused extensive damage to the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Church and the imperial palace.
More than 30,000 people were massacred as a punishment on the orders of Justinian the Great after he regained power. Later on during the Fourth Crusade, the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. These Turks had simply no interest in horse racing and did not bother to do any restoration efforts for the Hippodrome. Instead, they started using the Hippodrome as a marble quarry and the Hippodrome was forgotten slowly and gradually.
During its peak glory, the Hippodrome was adorned with a huge collection of historical monuments and trophies that were either made by skilled artisans of the city or brought from different corners of the Ottoman Empire.
The Column of Constantine or the Walled Obelisk (Magnetic Column/the Colossus) is located at the southern corner of the park. It was built on the instructions of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in the 10th century and was decorated with brass plates and bronze plaques. However, these embellishments were melted to mint coins in 1204 by the Crusaders.
Situated at a short distance away is the Serpentine Column originally erected in front of Delphi’s Temple of Apollo by Greek city-states to celebrate their win over the Persians. However, the column is only 25 percent of its original size of 8 m. the column is made of bronze and has three intertwined serpents. Earlier, it had a gold bowl that was provided support by heads of three gold serpents. However, the heads were believed to have been lost until one head was rediscovered during the restoration work of the famous Ayasofya.
Another outstanding monument of architecture in the city happens to be the Obelisk of Tutmosis III. The obelisk weighing 60 tons was brought by Emperor Theodosius I. it is made of granite with hieroglyphics depicting the glory of the god Horus and the pharaoh. It was brought to the square in 390 A.D. nearly two millennia after the time of its carving. Almost two-third of the obelisk was damaged or lost during transportation. At present, the obelisk is nearly 65 feet high.
In the north corner of the Hippodrome lays the Fountain of Willhelm II, also known as Alman Cesmesi. It was built originally in Germany and later on assembled in the city of Istanbul to mark the emperor’s city visit in 1895. One can find the signatures of Sultan Abdulhamid and the German monarch in golden mosaics inside the dome of the fountain.
The statue of four bronze horses happened to be the crowning glory of the Hippodrome. However, it was looted and taken away to the Basilica of St. Marco in Venice during the lootings in the city in the Fourth Crusade in 1204.
Another exquisite monument of historical architecture located in the northern corner of the Hippodrome is the Million Stone. Modeled on the Millaiarium Aureum, it was erected by Julius Caesar in Rome.
The Hippodrome was a favorite venue for numerous important and lavish occasions including circumcision ceremony of Sultan Ahmed III’s sons which spanned for days together.
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.