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Atmeydani (Hippodrome)

Back in Byzantium days, elections weren't decided by a namby-pamby voting system; more often than not, an emperor's fate hung on the outcome of a Ben Hur-style chariot race. The races were held at the Hippodrome, or Atmeydani, where the 'Greens' and 'Blues' (political parties) did battle. It wasn't unusual for an emperor to lose his throne at a post-match riot.

Ottoman sultans also kept an eye on activities in the Hippodrome. If things were going badly in the empire, a surly crowd gathering here could signal the start of a disturbance, then a riot, then a revolution. In 1909, there were riots here that caused the downfall of Abdül Hamit II and the repromulgation of the Ottoman constitution.

Though the Hippodrome might be the scene of their downfall, Byzantine emperors and Ottoman sultans outdid one another in beautifying it. Unfortunately, many priceless statues carved by ancient masters have disappeared from their original homes here. Chief among the villains responsible for such thefts were the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade, who sacked Constantinople, a Christian ally city, in 1204.

Near the northern end of the Hippodrome, the little gazebo in beautiful stonework is actually Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain. The German emperor paid a state visit to Abdül Hamit II in 1901 and presented this fountain to the sultan and his people as a token of friendship.

The impressive granite Obelisk of Theodosius was carved in Egypt around 1450 BC. The Byzantine emperor, Theodosius, had it brought from Egypt to Constantinople in AD 390 and had it erected on a marble pedestal engraved with scenes of himself in the midst of various imperial pastimes. Though these marble billboards have weathered badly, the magnificent obelisk, spaced above the pedestal by four bronze blocks, remains crisply cut and shiny.

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