The square in front of the Blue Mosque covers the site of the ancient “Hippodrome” – one of the most famous areas in Byzantine Constantinople. The Hippodrome was once the equivalent of the Roman Circus Maximus – the original was constructed in 200 AD and was the heart of civil activities. The home of Constantinople’s chariot races was once able to hold 110,000 people. Now though, it is basically an open plaza. There are two obelisks in the Hippodrome, one with hieroglyphics and one without. The base of both of them are about 10-15 feet below the current level of the streets because Istanbul has been torn apart so many times in the past couple thousand years that they just kept rebuilding over and over again on the rubble.

I mentioned in earlier posts that this is the period of celebration known as Ramadan, a special time in the Muslim Calendar. It is the holy month of fasting when Muslims refrain from eating, smoking and drinking from sunrise to sunset, governed by the morning and evening Call to Prayer. Although a time of fasting and reflection, it is also a time of celebration – Iftar – at the finish of fasting each day. A carnival atmosphere is everywhere and the area around the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome is an exciting place to be at the time of breaking the fast.

The huge fair that sets up around the Hippodrome during Ramadan is very famous in Istanbul. As Iftar (dinner time) approaches, the gardens around the Hippodrome are filled with people carrying picnic baskets which are shared by all sitting nearby. There are stalls and little kiosks everywhere selling traditional food as well as handicrafts , books, religious objects… and incredible people watching (which I never usually do, but here you just can’t avoid it).

During Ramadan, the large open area of the Hippodrome is turned into a street festival with tons of picnic tables for people to eat their meals at sunset. I explored the stalls that were selling and showing Islamic and Turkish food and art. There is a whole ‘encampment’ of food and street stalls, special Iftar menus – the streets and Mosques are all lit up and there is music everywhere. Families picnic together in the Hippodrome gardens and the atmosphere is contagious. Chants and concerts of Sufi music are being held here as well as shadow theater plays, magicians, fire-eaters and jugglers. I even watched a demonstration of how to make baklava — from a man who’s family has been in business selling the sweet confection longer than the United States has been a nation…

One of the most spectacular aspects of Ramadan in Istanbul is its mahya – messages of goodwill in the form of colored lights strong between the minarets of mosques in the city. This is a tradition which dates back close to four hundred years – this was done with oil lamps in the old days, but progress has been made and the signs are now lit by electric bulbs. The mahya can only be found in Turkey and it brings a very majestic air to Istanbul. Another interesting tradition is the Ramadan drummers who walk the streets with their drums waking inhabitants in time for Sahur – the last meal before a long day of fasting that starts with the call for prayers at sunset.

And though I’m not a Muslim, I don’t think it mattered one bit. It was like a huge (“gi-normous”) family reunion… and I didn’t feel one bit out of place.

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