HIPPODROME

 The History of the Hippodrome (Racecourse)


    One of the masterpieces of the late antique period architecture, the Hippodrome / Atmeydanı, which witnessed numerous events in its history of many centuries and was a square where important social events of the city occurred leaving sometimes destructive effects on the place, became an open air museum as it is the most visited site of the historic peninsula today. There are different opinions about the building date of the Hippodrome, which was one of the earliest buildings built in Istanbul during the Roman Empire Era. Based on the 6th century sources, it is said that the construction of it started after the seizure of Byzantium, one of the independent ancient Greek cities, by Septimius Severus (AD 193-211), and it was completed and inaugurated during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine (AD 272- 337). However, as there is no archaeological evidence to confirm this data, it is generally accepted that it was constructed during a comprehensive reconstruction activity between 330-337 AD, after Emperor Constantine I declared Byzantium, which was later known as Constantinople as the new capital of the Empire on 13 of May 330 AD. - During the Ottoman period, the Hippodrome which was called "Atmeydanı maintained its status as the largest square in the city, and witnessed to a variety of entertainment events such as weddings and circumcision ceremonies, horse races and javelin throwing competitions as well as some social uprisings. 


Hippodrome As The Social Center Of The City


         The hippodromes, which were important social centers of the cities of the antiquity, witnessed to various performances such as races done with two-wheeled combat cars drawn by four horses (quadrigas), gladiator fights, acrobatics and dance performances, animal struggles and exhibition of exotic animals, and they were even used as judiciary and execution fields. Car races in Constantinople Hippodrome, which had further meanings than just representing the "racing clubs", were done between the teams of the Blues and the Greens, which had certain social and political significances. The winner racers who achieved great successes had a great reputation, and the statues of some of them were erected in the Hippodrome. Although the church acknowledged the Hippodrome entertainment events as the bad legacy of the pagan past, these events lasted until 1261. Besides being the entertainment areas, Hippodromes were also the largest squares of the cities where citizens came face to face with the emperors, and had the opportunity to announce their requests or showed their strong reactions against things. During the Ottoman period, the Hippodrome which was called "Atmeydanı ", maintained its status as the largest square in the city, and witnessed to a variety of entertainment events such as weddings and circumcision ceremonies, horse races and javelin throwing competitions as well as some social uprisings.


Architecture of the Hippodrome (Racecourse)

    The Hippodrome was a "U" shaped racing arena which was located on the south-west of Auguesteion Square, an important square of the city of Constantinople, with dimensions of about 429 meters length and 119 meters width. What reached our day from the Hippodrome is the turning point of the racecourse, the "Sphendone". On the opposite side of the Sphendone, there was the "Carceres", a monumental gate designed to allow the exit of racing cars in 12 lanes. The bronze statues of the race chariot horses on top of the door were smuggled to Venice during the Latin invasion, and are still in the San Marco Square, there. The side edges of the racetrack had longitudinally stretched tiers with a capacity of 30,000 seats. The emperor and the imperial court dignitaries of the city watched the races from the "kathisma", a balcony with a transition passage to the palace whereas teams leaders and supporters of the teams watched them from the tribunes on both sides of the "kathisma". A "spina" having approximately 2 meters width and 3-4 meters height was constructed in the middle of the racetrack to divide the racecourse longitudinally into 2 halves. Although many monuments and statues on the spina were mentioned in the documents of the period, only Serpentine Column, the Braided Column and the Obelisk of Theodosius reached our present day.



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