The Hippodrome today, with the Walled Obelisk in the foreground

Obelisk of Thutmosis III

The base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis III showing Theodosius the Great as he offers a laurel wreath to the victor from the Kathisma (emperor's box) at the Hippodrome

The Delphi Tripod known as the Serpent column

The lower part of the Sphendone (curved tribune) is the only section of the Hippodrome of Constantinople (apart from the obelisks and columns embellishing the Spina) which still stands today, but gives an idea of the immense size of the building to those who see it. The Sphendone stood at the opposite side of the Hippodrome Boxes at north, close to the Sea of Marmara at south. The Boukoleon Palace and Little Hagia Sophia (Sts. Sergius and Bacchus) are located close to the Sphendone, in the neighbourhood of Küçükayasofya near the sea walls

The Hippodrome of Constantinople (Sultanahmet Meydanı) was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire and the largest city in Europe. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı (Sultan Ahmet Square) in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with only a few fragments of the original structure surviving. It is sometimes also called Atmeydanı (Horse Square) in Turkish. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 227 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (240 × 632 pixel, file size: 32 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Obelisk on the hippodrome of Constantinople, Sultanahmet Meydani in todays Istanbul. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 227 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (240 × 632 pixel, file size: 32 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Obelisk on the hippodrome of Constantinople, Sultanahmet Meydani in todays Istanbul. ... Thutmose III (also written as Tuthmosis III; called Manahpi(r)ya in the Amarna letters) (? - 1426 BC), was Pharaoh of Egypt in the Eighteenth Dynasty. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 229 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)The base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis III showing Theodosius the Great as he offers a laurel wreath to the victor from the Kathisma (emperors... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 229 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)The base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis III showing Theodosius the Great as he offers a laurel wreath to the victor from the Kathisma (emperors... Thutmose III (also written as Tuthmosis III; called Manahpi(r)ya in the Amarna letters) (? - 1426 BC), was Pharaoh of Egypt in the Eighteenth Dynasty. ... Flavius Theodosius (Cauca [Coca-Segovia], Spain, January 11, 347 - Milan, January 17, 395), also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great, was a Roman emperor. ... In Greek mythology Apollo is represented wearing a laurel-wreath on his head, and in ancient Greece wreaths were awarded to victors, both in athletic competitions, including the ancient Olympics and poetic meets under his care, as well as worn by several emperors. ... A Kathisma (Greek: καθισμα; Slavonic: каѳисма, kafisma), literally, seat, is a division of the Psalter, used by Eastern Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics who follow the Byzantine Rite. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (675 × 900 pixel, file size: 180 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Delphi Tripod at the Hippodrome of Constantinople File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (675 × 900 pixel, file size: 180 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Delphi Tripod at the Hippodrome of Constantinople File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old... After the battle of Plataea, the last battle of the Greco-Persian wars, Greeks built a bronze column of three intertwined snakes (Greek: Τρικάρηνος Όφις, meaning three-headed snake) to commemorate the 31 Greek city-states that participated in the battle. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 594 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 760 pixel, file size: 242 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Surviving part of the Sphendone (curved tribune) of the Hippodrome of Constantinople File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 594 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 760 pixel, file size: 242 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Surviving part of the Sphendone (curved tribune) of the Hippodrome of Constantinople File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version... Map of the Sea of Marmara Satellite view of the Sea of Marmara The Sea of Marmara (Turkish: Marmara Denizi, Modern Greek: Θάλασσα του Μαρμαρά or Προποντίδα) (also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea) is an inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating the... // Historical Information Bucoleon Palace, the present day Bucoleon Palace was one of the Byzantine palaces in Constantinople. ... The Apse of the former Church with the Mihrab. ... A race track (or racetrack), is a purpose-built facility for the conducting of races. ... Map of Constantinople. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ...

The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos ('ιππος), horse, and dromos (δρομος), path or way. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras. A Hippodrome (Gr. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... Chariot racing was one of the most popular ancient Greek and Roman sports. ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ...

History and use

Although the Hippodrome is usually associated with Constantinople's days of glory as an imperial capital, it actually predates that era. The first Hippodrome was built when the city was called Byzantium (Βυζαντιον, or Byzantion in Greek), and was a provincial town of moderate importance. In 203 the Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt the city and expanded its walls, endowing it with a hippodrome, an arena for chariot races and other entertainment. Byzantium (Greek: Βυζάντιον) was an ancient Greek city, which, according to legend, was founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas or Byzantas (Βύζας or Βύζαντας in Greek). ... Emperor Septimius Severus Lucius Septimius Severus, (April 11, 146 - February 4, 211) was Roman emperor from April 9, 193 to 211. ... The defensive wall of Braşov, Romania. ...

In 324, the Emperor Constantine the Great decided to move the seat of the government from Rome to Byzantium, which he renamed Nova Roma (New Rome). This name failed to impress and the city soon became known as Constantinople, the City of Constantine. Constantine greatly enlarged the city, and one of his major undertakings was the renovation of the Hippodrome. It is estimated that the Hippodrome of Constantine was about 450 metres long and 130 metres wide. Its stands were capable of holding 100,000 spectators. Constantine. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... New Rome has been used for: It was a common name applied to Constantinople, the city founded by emperor Constantine I the Great in 324 (known as Byzantium before that date; renamed Istanbul in modern times). ...

The race-track at the Hippodrome was U-shaped, and the Kathisma (emperor's loge) was located at the eastern end of the track. The Kathisma could be accessed directly from the Great Palace through a passage which only the emperor or other members of the imperial family could use. The Hippodrome Boxes, which had four bronze statues of horses on top, stood at the northern end; and the Sphendone (curved tribune of the U-shaped structure, the lower part of which still survives) stood at the southern end. These four bronze horses, now called the Horses of Saint Mark, whose exact Greek or Roman ancestry has never been determined, were looted during the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and installed on the façade of St Mark's Basilica in Venice. The track was lined with other bronze statues of famous horses and chariot drivers, none of which survive. A Kathisma (Greek: καθισμα; Slavonic: каѳисма, kafisma), literally, seat, is a division of the Psalter, used by Eastern Orthodox Christians and Eastern Catholics who follow the Byzantine Rite. ... One of floor mosaics excavated at the Great Palace and dated to the reign of Justinian I. It is presumed to represent a conquered Gothic king. ... The original Horses of Saint Mark The Triumphal Quadriga or Horses of Saint Mark is a set of Roman or Greek bronze statues of four horses, originally part of a monument depicting a quadriga. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople (Eugène Delacroix, 1840). ... For the Basilica di San Marco in Rome, see Basilica di San Marco (Rome). ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia, Latin: Venetia) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ...

Throughout the Byzantine period, the Hippodrome was the centre of the city's social life. Huge amounts were bet on chariot races, and the whole city was divided between fans of the Blue (Venetii) and Green (Prasinoi) chariot racing teams. The two other racing teams, the Reds (Rousioi) and the Whites (Leukoi), gradually weakened and were absorbed by the two major factions. The rivalry between the Blues and Greens often became mingled with political or religious rivalries, and sometimes riots, which amounted to civil wars that broke out in the city between them. The most severe of these was the Nika riots of 532, in which 30,000 people were said to have been killed. The Nika riots (Greek: Στάση του Νίκα), or Nika revolt, took place over the course of a week in Constantinople in 532. ...

Constantinople never really recovered from its sack during the Fourth Crusade and even though the Byzantine Empire survived until 1453, the Hippodrome was not rebuilt and did not regain its former glory. The Ottoman Turks, who captured the city in 1453 and made it the capital of the Ottoman Empire, were not interested in racing and the Hippodrome was gradually forgotten, although the site was never actually built over. The Entry of the Crusaders into Constantinople (Eugène Delacroix, 1840). ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–65) Edirne (1365–1453) Constantinople (İstanbul, 1453–1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish (official); spoken languages include Abkhazian, Adyghe, Albanian, Arabic, Aramaic, Armenian, Azerbaijani...

Hippodrome monuments

To raise the image of his new capital, Constantine and his successors, especially Theodosius the Great, brought works of art from all over the empire to adorn it. Among these was the Tripod of Plataea, now known as the Serpent column, cast to celebrate the victory of the Greeks over the Persians during the Persian Wars in the 5th century BC. Constantine ordered the Tripod to be moved from the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, and set in middle of the Hippodrome. The top was adorned with a golden bowl supported by three serpent heads. The bowl was destroyed or stolen during the Fourth Crusade. The serpent heads were destroyed as late as the end of the 17th Century, as many Ottoman miniatures show they were intact in the early centuries following the Turkish conquest of the city.^[1] Parts of the heads were recovered and are displayed at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. All that remains of the Delphi Tripod today is the base, known as the "Serpentine Column". Flavius Theodosius (Cauca [Coca-Segovia], Spain, January 11, 347 - Milan, January 17, 395), also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great, was a Roman emperor. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... After the battle of Plataea, the last battle of the Greco-Persian wars, Greeks built a bronze column of three intertwined snakes (Greek: Τρικάρηνος Όφις, meaning three-headed snake) to commemorate the 31 Greek city-states that participated in the battle. ... Combatants Greek city-states Persia Commanders Pausanias Mardonius† Strength 100,000 (Pompeius) 110,000 (Herodotus) 120,000 (Ctesias) 300,000 (Herodotus and Plutarch) Casualties 10,000+ (Ephorus and Diodorus) 1,360 (Plutarch) 159 (Herodotus) 43,000 survived (Herodotus) 100,000 killed (Diodorus) The Battle of Plataea was the last battle... The Greco-Persian Wars or Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between the Greek world and the Persian Empire that started about 500 BC and lasted until 448 BC. The term can also refer to the continual warfare of the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire against the Parthians and... Lycian Apollo, early Imperial Roman copy of a fourth century Greek original (Louvre Museum) In Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo (Ancient Greek , Apóllōn; or , Apellōn), the ideal of the kouros (a beardless youth), was the archer-god of medicine and healing, light, truth, archery and also a... Delphi (Greek Δελφοί, [ðe̞lˈfi]) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in a valley of Phocis. ... Istanbul Archaeology Museum (Turkish: İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzesi) is an archeological museum, located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace. ...

Another emperor to adorn the Hippodrome was Theodosius the Great, who in 390 brought an obelisk from Egypt and erected it inside the racing track. Carved from pink granite, it was originally erected at the Temple of Karnak in Luxor during the reign of Tuthmosis III in about 1490 BC. Theodosius had the obelisk cut into three pieces and brought to Constantinople. Only the top section survives, and it stands today where Theodosius placed it, on a marble pedestal. The obelisk has survived nearly 3,500 years in astonishingly good condition. An engraving depicting what Theodosius may have looked like, ca. ... The Luxor obelisk in the Place de la Concorde in Paris For other uses, see Obelisk (disambiguation). ... Karnak is a village in Egypt that was once part of the ancient capital of Egypt, Thebes. ... The River Nile at Luxor Pharaonic statue in Luxor Temple Hot-air ballooning in Luxor Luxor (Arabic: الأقصر ) is a city in Upper (southern) Egypt and the capital of the Al Uqsur governorate, population approximately 200,000. ... Thutmose III (also written as Tuthmosis III; called Manahpi(r)ya in the Amarna letters) (? - 1426 BC), was Pharaoh of Egypt in the Eighteenth Dynasty. ...

In the 10th century the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus built another obelisk at the other end of the Hippodrome. It was originally covered with gilded bronze plaques, but these were stolen during the Fourth Crusade. The stone core of this monument also survives, known as the Walled Obelisk. Constantine and his mother Zoë. Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, the Purple-born (Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Ζ΄ Πορφυρογέννητος, Kōnstantinos VII Porphyrogennētos), (Constantinople, September 905 – November 9, 959 in Constantinople) was the son of the Byzantine emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife Zoe Karbonopsina. ... The Walled Obelisk The Walled Obelisk (also known as Constantine Obelisk) is situated near Serpentine Column at the southern side of the Hippodrome of Constantinople (now Sultanahmet Square). ...

The Hippodrome today

Today the area is officially called Sultan Ahmet Square, and is carefully maintained by the Turkish authorities. The course of the old racetrack has been indicated with paving, although the actual track is some two metres below the present surface. The surviving monuments of the Spina (the middle barrier of the racecourse), the two obelisks and the Serpentine Column, now sit in holes in a landscaped garden.

The German Fountain ("The Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain"), an octagonal domed fountain in neo-byzantine style, which was constructed by the German government in 1900 to mark the German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Istanbul in 1898, is located at the northern entrance to the Hippodrome area, right in front of the Blue Mosque. German Fountains front side The German Fountain (in Turkish Alman ÇeÅŸmesi) is a gazebo styled fountain in the northern end of old hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), Istanbul, Turkey and across from the Mausoleum of Sultan Ahmed I. It was constructed to commemorate the second anniversary of German Emperor Wilhelm... Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia. ... Wilhelm II of Prussia and Germany, Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert von Hohenzollern (January 27, 1859 - June 4, 1941) was the last German Emperor (Kaiser) and the last King (König) of Prussia from 1888 - 1918. ...

The Hippodrome has never been systematically excavated by archaeologists. A portion of the substructures of the Sphendone (the curved end) became more visible in the 1980s with the clearing of houses in the area.

In 1993 an area in front of the nearby Sultanahmet Mosque (the Blue Mosque) was bulldozed in order to install a public toilet, uncovering several rows of seats and some columns from the Hippodrome. Investigation did not continue further, but the seats and columns were removed and can now be seen in Istanbul's museums. It is possible that much more of the Hippodrome's remains still lie beneath the parkland of Sultanahmet. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). ...

Image gallery

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 434 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (652 × 900 pixel, file size: 108 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Obelisk of Thutmosis III with its base depicting the court of Theodosius the Great who brought it from Egypt in order to embellish the Spina (the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 239 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)The court of Theodosius the Great carved on the base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis III at the Hippodrome of Constantinople in Istanbul I, the creator... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 721 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (858 × 714 pixel, file size: 143 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Carvings showing several scenes of daily life during the period of Theodosius the Great on the lower parts of the base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 768 pixel, file size: 183 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Court of Theodosius the Great depicted on the base of the Obelisk of Thutmosis III at the Hippodrome of Constantinople I, the creator of this work... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (960 × 1280 pixel, file size: 513 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) The Constantine Obelisk, Hippodrom, Istanbul photo by Radomil talk File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Hipodconst. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2304 pixel, file size: 710 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

References

External links

• Photos with explanations
• Byzantium 1200 - Hippodrome
• Emporis - Hippodrome of Constantinople
• WowTurkey - Hippodrome of Constantinople
• Arkitera - The Great Palace and Hippodrome of Constantinople

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Istanbul hippodrome

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