Hippodrome of Constantinople

Gilbert Dagron is the most important living historian of Byzantine civilization. Starting with "Birth of a Capital: Constantinople," published in 1974, he endeavored to unravel the mysteries of the Eastern Roman Empire, weaving the "grand narrative" from fundamental sources, ranging from folk tales and oral traditions to the tradition of icon portraits.

Constantinople Hippodrome - Games, People, and Politics is Dagron's latest book. A journey into the heart of Byzantine Istanbul. It's not merely an examination of a place; it's also an anatomy of a society, a way of life.

Dagron's analyses are astonishing: it's as if he's describing today's Istanbul – from the Gezi protests to "Çarşı," from the population explosion caused by rural-to-urban migration to stadium hooliganism, events that occurred in the Byzantine capital fifteen hundred years ago prove that the wheel of History turns with repetitions.
-Enis Batur-