Sultanahmet Square

Evening is a lovely time here, when the monuments light up and the call to prayer carries across the square. There are cafés, places to sit and plenty of photo spots, so it’s easy to pause and enjoy Istanbul. The gardens, fountains and architecture add to the atmosphere, which feels both calm and lively. With Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque nearby, Sultanahmet Square is full of history.

Simit on a bench, with the Blue Mosque on one side and Hagia Sophia on the other, is a pretty great way to take in this free, open-air spot. The Egyptian Obelisk and Serpentine Column look striking against the city, and the square has layers of history beneath it. This was once the center of Byzantine life and the setting for chariot races. One of the most atmospheric places in Istanbul, and a must-see.

Atmeydanı later became a place for riding, ceremonies and public gatherings in Ottoman Istanbul, with Ibrahim Pasha Palace and Sultan Ahmed Mosque around it. The open ground remains, though the buildings and rules shaping public assembly changed. It had once been a Roman circus beside the Great Palace, its track bordered by tiered seating and a central line of monuments. From the palace-linked *kathisma*, the emperor watched as the racing crowds called out. In 532, during the Nika revolt, insurgents put Hypatius in that imperial seat; Justinian’s troops then entered and killed those gathered in the arena. The seats, starting gates and specialised viewing arrangement have vanished, leaving the long open space and surviving monuments as partial traces.

Crowds pass through on their way to the nearby Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. It’s an open square with a few historic obelisks, and the place has long been busy with horse racing. It has sometimes been called Horse Square.