Hippodrome of Constantinople

The Hippodrome was the center of Byzantium's life for more than 1,200 years, and the Ottoman Empire for 400 years. It was also a very bloody scene of political dramas: a Byzantine emperor could lose the throne as the result of an unfavorable career. Besides all this turbulent history, the Hippodrome is one of the most emblematic and ancient monuments of the city. This place was embellished over time, adorned with statues. One of the most aggressive plunderings was carried out by the Holy Christian crusade that swept Cosntantinople in the thirteenth century. Now, the Hippodrome is a meeting place for tourists and Turks.