Hippodrome of Constantinople
Sultanahmet Meydanı
The ruins of the Byzantine chariot racing stadium, with an Egyptian obelisk, a serpent column and the German Fountain. It stands right next to the Blue Mosque.
The Hippodrome was the social heart of Roman and Byzantine Constantinople. It could hold up to 100,000 spectators watching chariot races, and today it is Sultanahmet Square. Three ancient monuments remain on the square: the Egyptian Obelisk of Thutmose III from the 15th century BC, the bronze Serpent Column brought from Delphi, and the stone Obelisk of Constantine. At the northern end, the octagonal German Fountain was a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1901. The square is free to visit and sits right beside the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. Getting there: T1 tram to Sultanahmet station.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- Basilica Cistern
- Hagia Sophia
- Blue Mosque
- Hagia Irene
- Gülhane Park
- Istanbul Archaeology Museums
- Grand Bazaar