SULTANAHMET

The most important monumental buildings of the city are found in this section of old Istanbul. Ever since the Roman period, the imperial buildings and sanctuaries were situated there. Where Sultanahmet mosque (the "Blue Mosque") stands today, imperial palaces had stood, and Topkapi Palace stands atop the Roman Acropolis. The great cathedral Hagia Sophia of the Byzantine emperors still stands near Sultanahmet mosque.Sultanahmet is the mosque only mosque in the world with six minarets. All these monuments remain in place, with the exception of the famed equestrian statues that once adorned the square and were later carried off by the Crusaders to Venice where they still stand in St. Mark's Cathedral square.
Ahmet III Fountain (3. Ahmet Çesmesi): Standing just to the right of the Bab-i-Humayun Gate of Topkapi Palace, this fountain is one of the most striking examples of the Baroque style fountains built in the city at the beginning of the 18th century. The fountain has a spout on each of its four sides.
The Built Pillar (Örmetas): It is said that the bronze plating that once covered this column was melted down and pressed into coins during the Latin invasion. During the Ottoman period acrobats used to climb up this rather odd-looking column and perform their feats.

Egyptian Obelisk (Dikilitas): After the world hegemony had passed to Rome, this column was brought from Egypt to Constantinople in 390 A.D. by Emperor Theodosius and placed on a square pedestal in the center of the hippodrome in the spina.
The obelisk could also be called as Theodosius Column. Reliefs on the pedestal depict Theodosius watching the races in the hippodrome and tell the story of how the column was erected. The Egyptian hieroglyphics on the column itself tell about sacrifices that thePharaoh Tutmosis made to the god Amon-Ra.
The Hippodrome: The hippodrome, which was built during the reign of Septimus Severus, on the square next to where Sultan Ahmet mosque is located, was 480 meters long by 117 meters wide and could contain 100,000 people. Many sculptures adorned the walls of the hippodrome. By means of special underground passageways, the emperor could reach the hippodrome or Hagia Sophia without leaving the palace. In the center of the arena was the spina around which the horse chariots would race. The hippodrome occupied a very important place in Byzantine social life. The most exciting of the many amusements that took place there were the chariot races between four teams representing the four elements: the blues representing  air, greens representing earth, whites representing water and reds representing fire. In Ottoman times, hippodrome became an area where polo games and the circumcision ceremonies of the crown princes took place and named At Meydani. Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain (Alman Çesmesi): This fountain was a gift of the kaiser to the Ottoman sultan.
Milion (Milion tasi): Situated today at the corner opposite to Hagia Sophia, this stone was known during the era of the Eastern Roman Empire to indicate point zero the forming of the known universe. Serpentine Column (Burmali sutun): This stone, made of the bronze shields of Persian soldiers who were killed at the battle of Palatea, was brought to Constantinople from the Apollo Temple of Delphi. Its name is derived from the relief of three intertwined snakes that encircle it. It is said that the three snakes once had a golden bowl placed over their heads but this was melted down in order to press coins during the Latin invasion of the city. The two snake heads were lost during the Ottoman period and one of them is now displayed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.Back to Landmarks