Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Istanbul audio tour, Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas) is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Istanbul Istanbul guide
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About Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas)
Constantine raised this porphyry column in 330 to crown his new capital; battered by fire and storm and bound in iron hoops, it still stands beside the tram.
The Column of Constantine (Turkish Cemberlitas, 'hooped stone') is a porphyry monument raised by Constantine the Great and dedicated on 11 May 330 to mark the inauguration of Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire. It stood at the centre of the oval Forum of Constantine, midway along the Mese, the city's main avenue. Built of Egyptian porphyry drums on a marble pedestal, it was originally topped by a bronze statue of Constantine in the guise of the sun-god Apollo.
The statue and upper drums fell in a gale in 1106; Manuel I Komnenos restored the column and added a cross, which the Ottomans later removed. Iron hoops were added from about 1515 to reinforce the fire-damaged shaft, giving the monument its Turkish name. A fire in 1779 earned it the nickname the Burnt Column, after which Sultan Abdulhamid I added the present base.
Did you know? The column once carried a bronze statue of Constantine posing as the sun-god Apollo, complete with a radiate crown. A violent gale toppled it in 1106, and the summit has stayed bare ever since.
How much time do you need at Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas)?
Around ~30 min works well for Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas)?
Yes — Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas) made the cut as one of 40 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Istanbul. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Istanbul
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Hear the story of Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas)
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