Consequently, all the chariot drivers would compete with all their might, sometimes employing the most ruthless tactics to win. They were divided into teams of "Blues" , "Greens", "Reds", etc. and with their fans and supporters even had political power. This intermixture of sports and politics would sometimes lead to curious consequences such as street fights and even massacres triggered just by the humiliation of one of the teams (or, more appropriately, political parties) in a chariot race.
For centuries, the Hippodrome stood erect and continued to be one of the most important landmarks of the Byzantine city. Then, after the invasion of the Crusaders in 1204, it was stripped of almost all the monuments that once adorned it and eventually destroyed.
Later, during the Ottoman rule of the city, the Hippodrome grounds were used occasionally for some festivities and ceremonies that were reminiscent of its early times.
What is left of this once magnificent arena is the racing track - or rather the outline of it -with the surface filled to a level 4-5 meters above the original and only three monuments: Two of them obelisks and the third, the Serpentine Column.
THE EGYPTIAN OBELISK (THE OBELISK OF THEODOSIUS I)
This obelisk made of exceptionally high quality pink granite was originally erected around B.C. by the Pharaoh Tuthmosis III at a spot in front of the Temple of Karnak at Luxor to commemorate the victories his armies had won in Mesopotamia. It was brought to Istanbul during the fourth century upon orders of a Roman emperor not yet identified clearly, who wished to stage a happening thad would demonstrate his power and hence excite and impress his people.
The obelisk was left lying at one corner of the Hippodrome for a long while until the year that falls within the reign of Teodosius I when was erected with great difficulty by Proclus, one of the administrators of the city. The obelisk which has always been regarded as enchanted by the people of the city is the most ancient monument in Istanbul.
The obelisk stands on four bronze cubes placed on a Roman base adorned with reliefs depicting the Emperor, his family and other important people watching the races from the imperial box as well as the people, musicians, dancers and chariot races.
The height of the obelisk with its base is meters from ground level. At the southern end of the Hippodrome stands the imitation obelisk built out of roughly shaped pieces of stone. The exact date it was built is not known, and the monument is named after Emperor Constantine Porphyregenetus who had it repaired in the 10th century. The bronze plaques that used to cover it were looted during the Fourth Crusade.
MUSEUM OF TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS
To the west the Hippodrome opposite the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet stands the Palace of Ibrahim Paşa which is the only example that remains of the beautiful private palaces that abounded in the city during the 16th century. The palace now serves as the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts: Contains a rich collection of metals, ceramics, books, etc. along with the world's finest collection of handmade Turkish carpets.
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