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The Hippodrome of Constantinople, now known as Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, was a grand public arena primarily used for chariot races. Beyond races, it served as a venue for gladiator games, imperial ceremonies, public protests, and executions during the Roman (203-330 CE), Byzantine (330-1453 CE), and Ottoman (1453-1922) periods.
Originally built by Roman Emperor Septimius Severus in 203 CE, the Hippodrome was later expanded by Constantine I when he established Constantinople as the Byzantine capital in 330 CE. Constantine enlarged the structure and connected it to the Great Palace of Constantinople, remnants of which can still be seen at the Museum of the Great Palace Mosaics.
With a seating capacity of approximately 40,000, the Hippodrome was a center of both entertainment and political power. It was adorned with monuments brought from across the empire, including the Serpent Column from Delphi and the Obelisk of Thutmosis III from Egypt, also known as the Obelisk of Theodosius. These monuments were a display of the Byzantine Empire’s vast reach and dominance.
Under Ottoman rule, the Hippodrome was renamed At Meydanı (Horse Square) but was no longer used as an arena. Instead, it became a public square. The construction of the İbrahim Paşa Palace, which now houses the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, in the 16th century and the Blue Mosque in the 17th century caused significant damage to the site. By the 18th century, it had largely been abandoned.
Today, the Hippodrome is easily accessible from Sultanahmet Tram Station, just a two-minute walk from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. It is surrounded by other significant historical sites, including Topkapi Palace, the Underground Cistern, and the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum. As it is located in Istanbul’s most touristic district, visitors can find a range of accommodations nearby, with luxury and boutique hotels such as Four Seasons Sultanahmet, Ibrahim Pasha Hotel, and Armada Sultanahmet Old City.
References:The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.
The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.
The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.