Sultanahmet Square

Sultanahmet Square holds the ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople within its open, rectangular footprint. Its most recognizable feature is the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius, a granite monolith covered in hieroglyphs that stands upright on a marble pedestal. The Roman emperor Theodosius the First brought this stone from Luxor in the fourth century to anchor the center of a massive chariot racing track. During the Nika riots in five hundred thirty-two, the space transformed into a violent battleground where thirty thousand people lost their lives.