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Atmeydani (The Hippodrome)

Back in the rough and ready days of the Byzantium era, elections weren't decided by any kind of namby-pamby voluntary voting system; more often than not an emperor's fate hung on the outcome of a Ben Hur-style chariot race. The races were held at the Hippodrome, or Atmeydani, where the 'Greens' and 'Blues' (political parties) would line up to do battle. Team victories could have an enormous impact on policy and it wasn't unusual for an emperor to lose his throne at the post-match, disappointment-induced riot.

Despite (or maybe because of) its potential to be the site of many a cruel downfall, successive emperors endowed the Hippodrome with many statues, obelisks and monuments. The granite Obelisk of Theodosius is one of the most impressive features. The dainty Kaiser Wilhelm fountain is also worth a visit, as is the Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum (Turk ve Islam Eserleri Muzesi), with its ethnographic exhibits and Ottoman upper-class paraphernalia.