The Hippodrome was built by Roman Emperor Septimius Severus in 203 AD. and Constantine the Great enlarged it and adorned it with beautiful works that were brought from different parts of the Roman Empire when he chose Byzantium as his new capital.
Although not much remains of the original building except for the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Columns and Columns of Constantine, according to excavations carried out, the Hippodrome was 117m / 384ft wide. and 480 m / 1,575 feet long with a capacity of 100,000 spectators.
The Hippodrome was not only used for racing, but also for public gatherings. Here, chariots drawn by 2 or 4 horses raced representing one of the four political groups. Each group was represented by a color. Later, these four colors were combined into two colors; blues and greens. The Blues were the middle and upper classes, orthodox in religion and conservative in politics. The Greens were lower class and radical in both religion and politics. One of these political divisions ended in a revolt that killed 30,000 people. This revolt takes its name from the cries of the people “Nika” which meant “to win” and this revolt of Nika took place in 531 AD. vs.
The hippodrome was destroyed and looted in 1204 by the Crusaders. After the Turks lost their popularity and especially with the construction of the Blue Mosque, the old racecourse changed its name and became Horse Square, a place where the Ottomans trained their horses. The only three remaining monuments of the original construction. These are the Egyptian obelisk that the Roman governor of Alexandria sent to Theodosius I in 390 AD, the serpentine column that was erected in front of the temple of Apollo in Delpi, was brought by Constantine I in 4 s. and the Constantine column of 4C or 5C. A D.
