Hippodrome
HIPPODROME
From hosting wild animals displays, political meetings and religious rituals to earthquakes, the Hippodrome was the hub of the social life in Istanbul . The most popular event was the chariot races and the entertainments during the races in Byzantine period. After the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Emperor in 1453, the area served as one for horse trading. That’s why, the area is named At Meydani (horse square) today.
The Hippodrome monuments are Serpent Column, Obelisk of Thutmose III, known as Egyptian Obelisk, Walled Obelisk, German Fountain and Statues of Porphyrios. The region is formally called Sultan Ahmet Square. It is maintained by the Turkish government.
Egyptian Obelisk was built in the 16th century BC by the Pharaoh Tutmosis in Egypt and moved to Istanbul by boat in the 4th century AD. Serpent Column, was first built in Greece, then moved to Istanbul, but two of the snake heads of the column were lost and one of them should be seen in the Archeological Museum.
You can join a Daily Istanbul Tour to explore the hippodrome and the monuments.
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