Hippodrome of Constantinople

At the races

On the site of what is today Sultanahmet Square are the remains of the Hippodrome of Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperors loved a chariot race as much as their Roman counterparts, and like Rome’s Circus Maximus the Hippodrome was an important centre of the old city.

Byzantine chariot-racing was a big deal. The rival Green and Blue teams were rather like street gangs linked to sectarian groups; a racing victory was an important societal event, and the teams often had a direct influence on public policy. In the tense atmosphere of 532 AD, during which Emperor Justinian was already facing a tax crisis, the two teams joined forces against the Emperor in protest at the imprisonment of two of their members: the ensuing Nika riots - ‘Nika!’ was the the rioters’ cry for victory - saw imperial forces massacre around 30,000 protesters in the Hippodrome.

Originally, the arena comprised two surrounding galleries, a central spina and a semicircular sphendone (some of which can be seen today) at one end. Several rows of seats and columns were uncovered during a demolition in front of the Blue Mosque in 1993; it is possible that much more of the Hippodrome still remains beneath the park of Sultanahmet.

Obelisk central

Many bronze statues, rich tapestries and purple hangings once decorated the Hippodrome, including four magnificent gilt horses above the Hippodrome Boxes, which are now on view in Venice.

Along the length of the Hippodrome’s spina, four monuments are still visible in the modern square. The extraordinary bronze Serpent Column is all that remains of a ‘trophy’ dedicated to Apollo at Delphi, installed by Constantine in the 5th century. The column is 8 metres high and around 2,500 years old; originally it held a tripod and golden bowl supported by three serpent heads. The column has a long history of literary and artistic reference, and Ottoman miniatures show that the heads were still intact until the 17th century.

Emperor Theodosius added the even older pink granite Obelisk of Thutmose III, taken from Luxor in Egypt. It has survived nearly 3,500 years, and is in rather better condition than the Serpent Column. Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus built another obelisk at the opposite end of the spina in the 10th century: once covered in bronze plaques, only the stone ‘walled obelisk’ core remains. Also surviving are the bases of several triumphal statues of the famed charioteer Porphyrios.

Although much of its original structure is now missing, Sultanahmet Square largely follows the Hippodrome’s original ground plan: with a bit of imagination you can still get a taste of Byzantine majesty, and hear the roar of 100,000 spectators.