Istanbul’s Hippodrome is one of the city’s most important historic sights. Here was the centre of life in the city for a thousand years – a place where countless dramas and tragedies played out. Bang in the centre of the touristic Sultanahmet district, it’s now known as Sultanahmet Square.
The Hippodrome was largely sacked during the crusades, meaning very little survives. But some of the ancient monuments that once adorned the Hippodrome are still visible in the square. For centuries, here was the centre of life in the city, making it one of the most evocative places to visit in Istanbul (though admittedly, you have to use your imagination!).
In this blog I’ll share some stories of the Hippodrome, and the key things to look out for in the square today.
- What is Istanbul’s Hippodrome?
- Why was Istanbul’s Hippodrome so important?
- What’s left of the Hippodrome?
- What’s near the Hippodrome?
What is Istanbul’s Hippodrome?
Istanbul’s Hippodrome was used for chariot races, which were a hugely popular event in the ancient city, as well as public events and executions. Some of the most important moments in Istanbul’s history happened here. So important was the Hippodrome that it was connected to the Great Palace next door by a private walkway. By some estimates, it could fit up to 60,000 spectators.
It was built nearly 2000 years ago, in 202 AD by Emperor Septimus Severus. When Constantine the Great made Byzantium his new capital – New Rome – he extended the Hippodrome, the beating heart of his empire’s nervecentre.
During the Fourth Crusade in the 1200s it was heavily looted: the Hippodrome (and city) never quite recovered. When the Ottomans conquered the city, they had no interest in chariot racing. Instead they used it simply as a square – and also as a source of building stone, such as for the Blue Mosque.
Why was Istanbul’s Hippodrome so important?
Ancient relics and monuments
When Constantine the Great shifted the headquarters of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium in 324 AD, he wanted to give the city dubbed as ‘New Rome’ a sense of authenticity.
In this spirit, some of the oldest, most impressive, and most important monuments from across the Roman Empire were brought to his chosen capital – many of them adorning the Hippodrome. Subsequent emperors continued this trend, and some of these monuments are still visible today, though most were looted in the Crusades. Scroll down (or click here) for detail on some of the main monuments still visible in the square.
An ancient sporting rivalry: the blues and greens
Nowadays, Istanbul is split by supporters of its main football teams – Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas. In ancient times the city was divided by sporting rivalries, too. The main rivalry was between the two most important chariot racing teams – the blues and the greens. These two teams were hugely important to political stability in the city – the Hippodrome was nestled in between the Senate and the Great Palace, the corridors of power of Ancient Byzantium.
People came to the Hippodrome to enjoy the spectacle of the races, to support their team, but also to express their discontent. When people were unhappy with life in the city – at a lack of food or water, or raised taxes, for example – it would be at the Hippodrome they expressed their anger. This was particularly powerful as the Emperor would be present at races, visible to the crowd from his box, giving the public a direct route to express themselves to the emperor.
Supporting a particular team was akin to supporting a political party, though exactly what each team stood for is unclear. One theory is that the blues stood for religious orthodoxy and the ruling classes, while the greens were the party of the people. Other historians suggest the rivalry was more purely sporting based.
Either way, the whims of the supporters of these two teams had a huge role in the stability of the city. The rivalry between the blues and greens caused many riots in the city. In one particularly violent clash in the 6th Century AD, the greens killed over 3,000 blues.
The Nika Riots – one of the bloodiest riots in history
When the blues and greens collaborated, they could have a devastating effect. Once, in 532, the two teams joined forces to protest against the emperor’s high tax regime. This culminated during the races at the Hippodrome, where the crowd hurled insults at Emperor Justinian. These are called the Nika Riots because throughout the races the chants morphed from partisan (‘blues!’ And ‘greens!’) to a unified ‘Nika’, meaning ‘victory’. For the next few days, the unified crowd put the palace under siege, and torched much of the city.
Eventually, imperial troops stormed the Hippodrome. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed indiscriminately, making it one of the city’s most tragic and bloody events. It’s said that the massacred protestors are still buried in mass graves under the ancient Hippodrome.
With half the city torched and the riots over, Emperor Justinian set to rebuilding the city with ever greater splendour. This included rebuilding the Hagia Sophia, creating the magnificent building we see today, towering over Sultanahmet.
A place of power
The Hippodrome wasn’t just used for sporting events, but political ones too. Public executions and civil ceremonies took place here.
One particularly memorable moment came following the Byzantine Empire’s defeat of the Vandals in North Africa, in the sixth century AD. Prisoners of war were paraded through the city – culminating in the Hippodrome.
Among these was King of the Vandals, Gelimer. As he was marched through the magnificent Hippodrome, looked down on by a regaling Justinian from his Emperor’s Box, he’s said to have uttered these famous words: ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanities.’
What’s left of the Hippodrome?
The Hippodrome was largely destroyed during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, and most of its famous statues and relics were looted – many subsequently melted down for coins. You need to use your imagination a bit to recreate the excitement ancient Byzantium and Constantinople’s residents would have felt in this very place. Despite this, there are still some ancient monuments to see in the square. Here are some of the most important.
Serpentine Column
Now slightly stunted and easily missed by tourists beelining for the Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque, the Serpentine Column is one of the most interesting ancient monuments in Sultanahmet Square.
It was built in the 5th century BC by the Ancient Greeks, celebrating their victory over the Persians. For many centuries it was in front of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in Greece, until Constantine the Great ordered it to be brought over to the city to decorate the centre of the Hippodrome. It was once much taller than the column we see today, topped by serpents’ heads, but much was destroyed in the 1700s.
The Walled Obelisk
One of two huge obelisks in the square, this one was built by Constantine VII. It was originally covered in gold-plates and would have been an incredible sight. These gold plates were stolen during the Fourth Crusade, with soldiers (mistakingly) believing they were solid gold. The obelisk we see today is the stone centre of the original.
Egyptian Obelisk
Built by Tutmosis III, who reigned in the 1500s BC, this obelisk can lay claim to being one of the oldest sights, even in a city as historic as Istanbul. It’s more than three and a half thousand years ago. Considering this, it’s immaculately preserved. It was brought over by Emperor Theodosius in the 4th century AD – but it broke during transport, and only the top section survived. Originally, it was an astonishing 60m high.
The stones of the Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque is, arguably, the most beautiful building in Istanbul. It stretches alongside the Hippodrome and was built in the 1400s. Interestingly, some of the stones and columns from the ruined hippodrome were used to build the mosque.
The four horses
One of the other monuments from the Hippodrome that you can still see (though not in Istanbul) is the statues of four bronze horses. Their origin is unclear – but for centuries they adorned the Hippodrome. They were looted during the Crusades in the 1200s and can now be found at St Mark’s Basilica, in Venice.
The race track
The remnants of the ancient race track loop around the square, now paved over. It’s thought the original race track is two metres below the surface.
Remnants of the Hippodrome are still being found: when building new toilets near the Blue Mosque, stone seats from the ancient Hippodrome were discovered. Although little remains, and you have to use your imagination as you walk around the square, I felt the Hippodrome was one of the most evocative sights I visited in Istanbul.
Few sights on Earth can claim as much history, over a course of so many centuries, as this square in Istanbul. A sight of riots and bloodshed, the social centre of an ancient city, looted during the Crusades and a source of building materials for the Ottomans: the Hippodrome is now a peaceful, spacious park filled with families and tourists, surrounded by Istanbul’s major landmarks and sights.
What’s near the Hippodrome?
If you’re visiting the Hippodrome in Istanbul, it’s right next to many of the city’s major sights. The beautiful Blue Mosque lines the square, and in just a few minutes you can walk to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern.
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