The wake-up call got me out of a very deep sleep. I dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. We then loaded into the bus and went to the area of Istanbul which has most of the tourist sites. First we saw the location of the Roman Hypodrome in which the chariot races were held. The center was marked with three obelisks. The first was imported from Egypt and was from the reign of Pharoh Tutmosis III who ruled around 1500 BCE. The center one was bronze and was serpentine in shape. It was imported from Greece. The final one was made locally. It was 12 feet taller than the Egyptian obelisk and was covered with bronze plates. These bronze plates were stolen by the crusaders in the 13th century when they sacked “Constantinople”.
Egyptian Obelisk in center of Hypodrome
Base created for the Egyptian Obelisk
Bronze Serpentine imported from Greece for center of Hypodrome
Built in the 10th Century - 12 feet taller than Egyptian Obelisk and originally covered with bronze plates.
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