Bloodiest uprising in Istanbul: Nika riot of the 6th century
In January 532 A.D., the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) capital of Constantinople was shaken by one of the most violent uprisings in its history—the Nika riot. The turmoil nearly cost Emperor Iustinianus I (527-565) his throne. The rebellion took its name from the Greek word “Nika,” meaning “Victory,” which was the rallying cry of chariot-racing fans at the city’s Hippodrome.
