« Academic nostalgia | Main | Alternative fuels of the present?? »
May 8, 2009
The Obelisk of Theodosius - Hippodrome, Istanbul
A great piece of Late Antiquity!
Theodosius the Great had the obelisk brought to Constantinople from Egypt in 390 and erected in the Hippodrome, the chariot racing course. The Hippodrome is still one of the great public spaces of Istanbul - it is between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, a long block from the Topkapi palace, and there are always folks walking back and forth. I'm rereading a Jason Goodwin mystery that centers on the Janissaries, who had a meeting place in the Hippodrome.
I was as interested in the Late Antique base as anything else, of course - and took a lot of photos (go see four of them on Flickr) of the costume details. There are toga-wearing Romans and long-haired Barbarian soldiers - all kinds of folks! The detail is surprisingly crisp.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at May 8, 2009 3:25 PM