Right by Aya Sophya is place that for thousands of years rulers watched to gauge the mood of the people. Since they didn’t have political polling, they needed a way to find out people’s concerns and what was important to them. They used the Hippodrome as a sample of the population to tell how they where ruling. The landmarks can be looked at as the spin rulers put on issues to sway the opinion.
This is the place of several “Political Dramas” starting with the chariot races. Rival teams, the Greens and the Blues, also had rival political beliefs and a race victory had important effects on policy. An Emperor might lose his power because of a loss and the subsequent riots.
The Obelisk of Constantine VII is at the furthest part of the park. It originally had a bronze pinecone on its top and several brass plates on its sides when created in the 4th Century. The Pinecone fell during an earthquake in 869 and the plates were stolen in the 4th Crusades. This is a good example of the rule of Constantine. It originally was a majestic object adorned with expensive metalwork. As the empire deteriorated, so did the obelisk. As you look around the monument, look down at the base. This is the original floor of the Hippodrome. Over the years, the level was raised to where it currently is.
As the barbarians were threatening Rome, Constantine was trying to increase the influence of his city. What better than bringing a monument to the victory of roman city states over the Persians at Plataea. Originally it stood in the front of the temple of Apollo at Delphi, but was moved here in 330 AD, probably as a way to sway opinion of the citizen against those who threatened the city. Heads of serpents, which were believed to be stolen around the 4th Crusades, show the fall of Constantinople.
The Obelisk of Theodosius is originally from Egypt in 390AD and is the oldest monument in Istanbul. It was originally created in the 15th Century BC for Thutmose III. Here is the attempt to show the public in 390 AD that Constantinople is taking the place of Rome as the center of civilizations. Around this period, Rome was in decline and it can be said Constantinople was making a power play for the rule of the Roman Empire. As a tribute to itself, the base shows the effort to move this obelisk to its new location.
The area without monuments stand as a tribute to the rise of the Ottoman empire. It is interesting that there is no monuments from the Obelisk of Theodosius to the Fountain. It is like a reflection of the Muslim religion which believes it is heresy to pray to any object relating to a person. The Ottomans watched the Hippodrome carefully to make sure that talk did not lead to unrest that lead to riots that lead to revolt.
Finally, there is Kaiser Wilhelm’s fountain at the other end. A gift from Germany in 1901 as a token of friendship to the Turkish people, the German emperor who it is named after, presented this on his state visit to Abdul Hamit II. Soon after Turkey signed a treaty to protect each other in case one of them was attacked.
Today our elected officials sample their constitutes with sophisticated mathematical tools. In ancient Turkey the Hippodrome was the tool. Visiting the park with its landmarks you can get an idea of the influences of the people and how it was done.
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