Column of Marcian

Brief Information

The Column of Marcian stands as a rare monument about which ancient sources say almost nothing, although the column itself directly names both the patron and the occasion. In the mid-5th century, Tatian, prefect of Constantinople, erected it in honor of Emperor Marcian. The Latin inscription on the pedestal mentions not only the statue but also the Forum of Marcian, about which other ancient texts provide no clear information. The column is therefore important not for its scale, but because a single surviving object preserves the trace of a vanished urban space.

For a long time, the monument may have remained inconspicuous: until the early 20th century it was surrounded by private houses. After the fire of 1908, the surrounding buildings disappeared, and a modern square appeared on this site. Because of this, the column can be read in two ways: as an ancient monument and as an object that became visible to the city only after a sudden change around it.

What to Notice First

It makes sense to look at the column from bottom to top, because each part speaks of a different time and purpose. The shaft is carved from red-gray Egyptian granite; with its current overall height of 17 meters, it gives the monument a strict vertical silhouette. The rectangular pedestal is faced with marble slabs: on three sides, christograms are carved in medallions, while on the northern side two winged genii hold a globe. It was probably these figures that gave rise to the Ottoman name Kıztaşı, meaning “maiden’s stone.”

The inscription and the top of the column can be compared separately. The bronze letters have disappeared, but the holes left by them still allow the dedicatory text to be read. The Corinthian marble capital is decorated with four eagles, and the inscription indicates that a statue of the emperor once stood at the top. There is also a subtler detail: the pedestal is aligned with the nearby streets, while the capital is turned by 45 degrees. Because of this, it is thought that the statue may have faced the Church of the Holy Apostles. The metal clamps are a reminder of a modern attempt to keep the ancient monument in place.