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The Sultanahmet Square, called "the Hippodrome" by the Romans
and Byzantines and "the
Horse Square" by the Ottomans, is today a tranquil park square
surrounded by many historical monuments, mosques, and palaces.
All civilizations that ruled Istanbul saw this square as the
heart of the city, the reason why the most magnificent and
important monuments of the city are displayed around Sultanahmet
Square. The racecourse that gladiators raced on with their
chariots in front of a hundred thousand people during the
Byzantine period encircles the historical basin known as "Spina"
housing three great monuments, the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent
Column, and the Walled Obelisk. During the Byzantine period,
coronation ceremonies of emperors and victory celebrations of
the army also took place in the square.
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Anatolian Kavak and Lighthouse