Columns and statues to see Istanbul

It comes from the Temple temple built by Tuthmosis III (1483-1450 BC). The hieroglyphs engraved on the four faces of this porphyry monolith a height of 26 m are dedicated to the god Horus and celebrate the victories won by the pharaoh. Transferred to Constantinople by Théodose I, he was in the middle of the hippodrome in 390. With an original height of 50 m, it breaks when unloading and only the upper part will be used. The column stands on a 6 m high marble pedestal, carved out of bas-reliefs representing Théodose and his family in the imperial gallery of the racecourse and handing over crowns to the race winners. The obelisk was surmounted by a bronze sphere, symbolic of the world, which collapsed during the earthquake of 865.

It was erected on May 11, 330 by Constantine the Great to celebrate the passage from Byzantium to New Rome. Made of porphyry, it is 35 m high but originally the top was surmounted by a statue of Apollo supposed to represent the emperor. It was said to have been encrusted with many relics of Christianity (nails of the Passion, piece of the true Cross, stick that Moses used to bring water out of the desert...) in order to protect the destiny of the city, but the various excavations did not allow them to be located.