Istanbul was founded by King Byzas 700 years BC after an inspiration by the Oracle of Delphi who told him to look for the 'land of the blind' - referring to the folks who live on the Asian side of Istanbul who did not see the strategic location of the Golden Horn of the Bhosphorus. The name 'Byzantine' originated from this Megarian King. In 500 BC King Darius of Persian took control only to loose it back to the Greeks a short while later. Then the Vikings ( Celts) came in and their presence today can be seen in the blonde blue-eyed beauties of some of the Turkish girls we see on the streets. About 150 years BC the Romans from Rhodes, Pergamun aand Bithnia took over and made it part of the Roman Empire. For 11 decades the city prospered as Constantinople named after King Constantine. During this time the Roman Hippodrome ( stadium where chariot races were held and slave fought to death for pleasure of the audience like us watching football at the MU Stadium in UK. The Haga Sofia chrch was built during this period. The Arabs did threaten to run over the city but was repelled by the Crusaders organised by the Papacy in Vatican. Onlt the Seljuk Turks (originally based in north-eastern Anatolia - near the current borders with Iraq) finally managed to sack the Christians and started the rule of the Ottoman Muslims.The Hippodrome - now known as the SultanAhmed Square - was at its height the main centre of this Byzantine city. However most of it has been destroyed during civil wars and after being sacked by the various waves of invaders. What remains are the 2 Obelisks at the top end of the square. The Egyptian Obelisk was brought over from Upper Egypt. The other is the Serpentine Columnof 3 intertwined bronze snakes. The serpents used to be located at the Temple of Apollo @ Delphi in Greece commemorating the Greek victory over the invasion of the Persians. Some of the decorations of these obelisks have been taken to decorate the walls of the St Paul Church? in Venice.
The other monument left @ the Hippodrome is a more modern structure - the Fountain of Kaiser Wilhelm 11 or the German Fountain or the Alman Cesmesi built in 1898 to commemorate the German's King visit to Istanbul.
the pictures above are of the German Fountain sited at the bottom left corner of the Hippodrome
the Blue Mosque seen from the middle of the Hippodrome
the Greek Obelisk and the Serpentine Obelisk behindat the top end of the Hippodrome..
a palace at the right side of the Hippodrome is today
a palace at the right side of the Hippodrome is todaythe Museum of Turkish Art and Civilisation
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