istanbul - C2C

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the miniature paintings, for example the high
tightropes set between the obelisks for rope
walkers, horse riders performing stunts before
the Yılanlı Sütun, and tradesmen and artisan
guilds displaying their rades on carts in a
procession during the festivities. The miniature
paintings also show that the Chariot Races of
Byzantium was replaced with cirit (the jereed,
a horseback team game where the aim was to
score hits with a blunt wooden javelin on the
other team’s riders).
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Environs of the Hippodrome
As the environs of the Hippodrome were the
earliest settlement areas of the city, the earliest
monuments of İstanbul are situated here. As
this area was also at the heart of Ottoman
government, many important buildings were
constructed here.
In the hierarchy of the Ottoman Empire, the
Grand Vizier was the person next to the Sultan,
so their mansion houses were built close
to Topkapı Palace, where state affairs were