Column of Constantine, Çemberlitaş
When Constantine decided to have the city of Byzantium as the seat of government for the eastern territories of Rome he named it after himself Constantinopolis. It was in a defendable position situated on a peninsula with only a single side facing the land.
Column of Constantine was erected to mark the day of the foundation and the new center of the city about to expand. The column stood at the center of Forum of Constantine just outside the city walls of Byzantium. It also is a central point along the Mese (Divanyolu). At the foot of the column there was a sanctuary devoted to the emperors with relics in it (Hagios Constantinos). The column was adorned with a statue depicting Constantine as Apollo. But when a strong gale (1106) felled the statue some time later it was replaced with a cross during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180). The Fourth Crusade left its impact as well on the column as the rest of the Byzantine Istanbul. The bronze crowns hugging the column and the antique statues in the forum were plundered to be melted. When the city were conquered by the Ottomans they removed the cross at the top. In 1779 a fire in the city left black scorch marks. With all that past the column stands the test of time and is one of the reminders of the depth of history in Istanbul.
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| Map of Constantinopolis |
Column of Constantine was erected to mark the day of the foundation and the new center of the city about to expand. The column stood at the center of Forum of Constantine just outside the city walls of Byzantium. It also is a central point along the Mese (Divanyolu). At the foot of the column there was a sanctuary devoted to the emperors with relics in it (Hagios Constantinos). The column was adorned with a statue depicting Constantine as Apollo. But when a strong gale (1106) felled the statue some time later it was replaced with a cross during the reign of Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180). The Fourth Crusade left its impact as well on the column as the rest of the Byzantine Istanbul. The bronze crowns hugging the column and the antique statues in the forum were plundered to be melted. When the city were conquered by the Ottomans they removed the cross at the top. In 1779 a fire in the city left black scorch marks. With all that past the column stands the test of time and is one of the reminders of the depth of history in Istanbul.
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