The Hippodrome
In 203 AD, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus rebuilt and enlarged the existing hippodrome, which was a long, narrow circuit used for horse and chariot racing. When Emperor Constantine moved the seat of Roman government here in 324 AD, he commissioned major improvements, including importing monuments to decorate the spine of the hippodrome. 3 of these monuments (or fragments of them) remain today: The Serpent Column, The Obelisk of Thutmose III, and the Walled Obelisk. The Walled Obelisk (no pictures here) was commissioned by Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus in the 10 century.  You can see the partial base of the Serpent Column above, left. It originally held a large golden bowl supported by serpent heads, and was erected in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece, to celebrate Greek victory in the Persian Wars of the 5th century BC. 
The portion of the Obelisk which has stood in the Hippodrome since 390 AD, is the top third of the original Obelisk of Thutmose III, which dates to about 1490 BC, and was originally erected at the Temple of Karnak, Luxor, Egypt. It is supported on a base which has carvings depicting Emperor Theodosius and spectators.    The German Fountain
A gift from the Germans to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of
German Emperor Wilhelm II's 1898 visit.
          All photos are copyright protected property of Brenda Pokorny unless otherwise noted. If you would like permission for use, please contact me. |
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