The Hippodrome, Caesarea draws numerous travelers each year to this colorful city. This structure is among the popular Caesarea tourist attractions. The small and ancient city of Caesarea has a lot of things to see. Presently the town is a luxury destination for leisure travelers. The Hippodrome, Caesarea is a must-see destination for travelers looking for a satisfactory tour of the Israeli city.
To reach the Caesarea Hippodrome you have to take the side road that turns left at Tel Aviv-Haifa Road. This structure is one of the first things you notice on entering the site of the Herodian town. The structure is visible on your left on entering the town. The Hippodrome in Caesarea could house almost 20,000 spectators within its frame. It is 230 meters in length and 80 meters in width. Till date the site has not been excavated. You will see the place overgrown with vegetation when you visit it.
The records of Hippodrome, Caesarea can be found in the writings of Josephus. He wrote in Antiques that Herod built an amphitheatre here. As you walk out of the southern gate of the Crusader city, after some distance you will find a slight rise on the grounds that overlook a long flat region. Rows of stone bleachers will be seen around 300 yards to the south. This is the southern end of the Hippodrome, Caesarea. Some of the bleachers have been destroyed by an earthquake.
The original structure of Hippodrome, Caesarea, planned by Herod, was designed to be open to the sea. The western bleachers were absent then. Later these were built, maybe to meet the growing demand of people. A wall was also built through the middle. This made this structure similar to an amphitheatre. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, a separate amphitheatre and hippodrome were built in the eastern part of the city.
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