Horsepower at the Hippodrome: The Gumball 3000 Rally takes off from Istanbul

I follow the Gumball 3000 Rally every year from afar, but this year I became a photographer at the rally — which set off from my hometown. 

As someone who was born and raised in Istanbul, Türkiye, it was a privilege to witness and take part in this event. This year it kicked off in the same area which once was the largest Hippodrome of the Byzantine Empire; currently called as “Atmeydanı” in Turkish, which translates to “horse square”.

The famed chariot racing location, which used to be packed with thousands of attendees, was now the starting point of a car rally – with an equally massive crowd. 

You can still see the remnants of the Hippodrome if you take a short walk over to Little Hagia Sophia, which is a mosque a few streets over from Atmeydanı. In the streets leading to the mosque you can find the stone tiles of the Hippodrome of Constantinople and the ancient walls of the stands; knowing this historic connection definitely made this whole event that more special in meaning.

Atmeydanı is formed in a U-shape, and both the chariot racers in the Byzantine times and the drivers of the rally followed the same path to enter and leave the square, passing by the obelisks and the Serpent Column. The contrast between the Pagani Utopias, GMA T.50s, Lamborghini STOs and Porsche 911 GT3 RSs against the mesmerizing city of Istanbul, and the magnificent Hagia Sophia, provided something much more than just a supercar rally coming to a city.

A fusion of history and modernity happened; true beauty within chaos, the essence of what makes Istanbul one of the greatest cities in the world.

Car culture being represented in the same area that I’ve been visiting since I was a kid still gives me chills, when I look at the pictures I took at the event. People from every age group came to witness history, and I’ve never seen Sultanahmet Square lit up by so many smiles.

Last year, when it was announced that Gumball 3000 would be taking off from Istanbul, I immediately took action and tried to reach the team. In the past 12 months all I’ve been thinking about was the rally, because as a small-time hobbyist photographer with a tiny following, being accepted as a contributor to this event meant a lot to me.

As the starting flag dropped I was teary-eyed, because my hobby allowing me to capture such a once-in-a-lifetime event was incredibly fulfilling.

I’d like to thank the team at Gumball 3000 and at Turnpike for allowing me to share my perspective. I truly hope events like this continue to happen in Istanbul, and when they do, I’ll gladly be there, shooting it with my tiny cameras.

Thank you for reading.