Sultanahmet Meydanı

Sultanahmet Square occupies Istanbul’s historic centre, where the former Hippodrome of Constantinople shaped Byzantine public life. Its U-shaped track hosted chariot races before crowds of a hundred thousand spectators.

Emperor Septimius Severus began construction in the early third century, and Constantine the Great expanded it in the fourth century. The Serpent Column came from Delphi, while Thutmose the Third’s pink granite obelisk arrived from ancient Egypt. The obelisk still rises above a marble pedestal after almost thirty-five centuries. Political debate and unrest also filled the Hippodrome, including the Nika riots in 532. As Byzantine power declined, chariot racing faded, while Ottoman rulers used the grounds for ceremonies.

The German Fountain marks a later connection with Kaiser Wilhelm the Second and Germany. Its surviving layout still follows the ancient racing circuit through Istanbul’s historic district. Ancient stone, marble and imperial memory meet around one open space.