# Hippodrome of Constantinople Where Constantinople once cheered for chariot races, ancient monuments now stand in a sun-warmed square at the heart of Istanbul's historic peninsula. At the centre of Sultanahmet Square, the ancient racecourse where Byzantine emperors once received the roar of fifty thousand spectators is now a spacious, flagstoned esplanade. Stone obelisks stand where horses once thundered past, and plane trees provide shade for visitors pausing on benches. The city moves around it — trams rattle past to the Blue Mosque, and the smell of simit sellers drifts across from the nearby bazaar — but the Hippodrome keeps its Roman silence. ## The monuments that survived Three ancient monuments from different eras still stand in a line down the centre of the Hippodrome's expanse. The Egyptian Obelisk is the oldest — a single piece of red granite carved during the reign of Thutmose III, erected here in the tenth century and still bearing hieroglyphs that document its removal from Upper Egypt. Nearby, a twisted bronze column that once supported a golden serpent and bowls at Delphi stands considerably shorter than it originally did, its upper sections lost to time. A fourth-century obelisk on a square base stands at the far end, its surface worn nearly smooth. ## Building and decline The track itself — a long rectangle with turning posts at each end — was laid out by Roman emperors and widened under Constantine when he refounded the city. For centuries it was Constantinople's civic heart, where emperors addressed the people, factions staged their rivalries, and the city celebrated or mourned together. The Hippodrome fell quiet under Ottoman rule, its stonework quarried for other building projects. What remains today is only a fragment of the original structure, yet the open space itself conveys something of the scale that once impressed visiting ambassadors. ## Walking through today Visitors enter from the southwest, where the old mosque and the German Fountain face each other across the entrance. The flagstones are warm underfoot on a sunny afternoon. You can trace the original track's outline in your mind against the modern square, remembering that the sand beneath your feet was once churned by horses and chariot wheels. The Hippodrome sits within easy walking distance of the Basilica Cistern, the Blue Mosque, and the entrance to the Grand Bazaar, making it a natural stopping point between other sites on the historic peninsula. ## Tours that visit Hippodrome of Constantinople - Istanbul: Where Empires Meet — https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/istanbul-where-empires-meet/index.md (page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/istanbul-where-empires-meet/) - The Ultimate Journey Across Turkey — https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/ultimate-journey-across-turkey/index.md (page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/ultimate-journey-across-turkey/95/2026-10-30/) - Turkey's Golden Triangle — https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/turkeys-golden-triangle/index.md (page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/turkeys-golden-triangle/) - Turkey's Grand Cultural Journey — https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/turkeys-grand-cultural-journey/index.md (page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/turkeys-grand-cultural-journey/) - Turkey's Timeless Classics — https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/turkeys-timeless-classics/index.md (page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/tours/turkeys-timeless-classics/) ## Before you book you should know ### Is this trip right for you? Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that. Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in. Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month. How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above. ### Rooms, and travelling on your own Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three: - **Twin share** — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender. - **Travelling as a couple** — one double room. - **Individual room** — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book. Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard. ### Accommodation The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip. Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking. ### Passports, visas and insurance Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight. Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport. We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well. ### Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around. What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions. --- Full page: https://www.smallvoyage.com/destination/hippodrome/