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Good charioteers were as important as public heroes during the Byzantine period.
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Huge amounts were bet on chariot races, and there were four teams took part in these races, each one financially sponsored and supported by a different political party (Deme) within the Byzantine Senate: The Blues (Venetoi), the Greens (Prasinoi), the Reds (Rousioi) and the Whites (Leukoi).
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3500 years old age, the obelisk is in very good condition.ĭuring the Nika Riots in 532 CE, Byzantine emperor Justinian I ordered the killing of 30,000 people locked in the Hippodrome of Constantinople.ĭuring the Byzantine period, the Hippodrome was the centre of the Constantinopolitans’ everyday life. It is one of the twenty-nine Egyptian obelisks in the world. In 390 CE, Byzantine emperor Theodosius I brought the Obelisk of Thutmosis III from Karnak (Southern Egypt) to Constantinople, erected it inside the hippodrome and named it “ Obelisk of Theodosius” (Dikilitaş in Turkish). Amazing facts about the Hippodrome of Constantinople Today, the area is known as Sultanahmet Square and it follows the ground plan and dimensions of the hippodrome. Subsequently, mid-eighteenth century onwards it was abandoned and destroyed. Constructions of İbrahim Paşa Palace (now housing Turkish and Islamic Art Museum) in 16th century and Blue Mosque in 17th century damaged the hippodrome. Hippodrome was also used by the Ottomans as well and they named it At Meydanı (Horse Square), yet they simply used it as a square. With these landmarks and monuments -brought from all around the world- the Byzantine Empire was proudly showing its strength and thousands of kilometers long territory ruled by them. The hippodrome was decorated with monuments that were brought in from across the empire including the Serpent Column ( Yılanlı Sütun) from Delphi and Obelisk of Thutmosis III (Obelisk of Theodosius) from Egypt. At least eight different games could be held throughout the day and it was also used as a symbol of power for the empire.
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The capacity of the hippodrome was approximately 40,000 and it was free and open to male members of the community. What landmarks to see at the Hippodrome Square? Today the foundations of the Great Palace of Constantinople can be seen at the Museum of the Great Palace Mosaics. He enlarged the hippodrome and connected it to the Great Palace of Constantinople that today lies underneath the Blue Mosque. One of the first things that Constantine I rebuilt was the Hippodrome. In 330 CE, Constantine I declared the city as the capital of the Byzantine Empire and named it Constantinople, meaning Constantine’s city in Greek. However, the first Hippodrome was a small one. Hippodrome was one of the significant structures built by Severus. When Roman Emperor Septimius Severus conquered ancient Constantinople named Byzantion in 203 CE, he named the city as Augusta Antonina and built many structures. The Hippodrome of Constantinople was also home to gladiatorial games, official ceremonies, celebrations, protests, torture to the convicts and so on. The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos (horse) and dromos (way). Hippodrome of Constantinople, located in Sultanahmet/Istanbul, was a public arena mainly for chariot races.