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The Hippodrome was built by the Roman
Emperor Septimus Severus in 203 AD and Constantine the Great
enlarged and adorned it with beautiful works which were brought from
different places of the Roman Empire when he chose Byzantium as his
new capital.
Although there is not much left from the original building except
the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine and Constantine Columns, according
to the excavations carried out, the hippodrome was 117 m / 384 ft
wide and 480 m / 1575 ft long with a capacity of 100,000 spectators.
Hippodrome was not only used for races but also for public meetings.
Chariots drawn by either 2 or 4 horses raced here representing one
of the four political groups. Each group was represented by a color.
Later on these four colors were united in two colors; the Blues and
the Greens. The Blues were the upper and middle classes, orthodox in
religion and conservative in politics. The Greens were the lower
class and radical both in religion and politics. One of these
political divisions ended with a revolt which caused the death of
30,000 people. This revolt was named after people's cries of "Nika"
which meant "win" and this Nika Revolt took place in 531 AD.
The hippodrome was destroyed and plundered in 1204 by the Crusaders.
After the Turks it lost its popularity and especially with the
construction of the Blue Mosque, the ancient hippodrome changed its
name and became Horse Square a place where Ottomans trained their
horses. The only three remaining monuments from the original
construction. These are theEgyptian Obelisk which the Roman governor
of Alexandria sent to Theodosius I in 390 AD, the Serpentine Column
which was erected in front of the Apollo Temple in Delpi, was
brought by Constantine I in 4C AD and the Constantine Column from
the 4C or 5C AD.
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