Base of the Column of Arcadius

Built in the early 5th century to honor the Roman Emperor Arcadius, this column stood for 1300 years, finally being demolished  in 1719 after sustaining damage from earthquakes.

From historical drawings and descriptions, it is known to have been modeled after the famous Column of Trajan in Rome, with a narrative relief frieze spiraling up its length depicting the Gothic revolt of 395-398.

Crowned by a statue of the triumphant Arcadius, it may have reached 40 meters (130 feet) or more, which would have made it the tallest monument of its kind in Constantinople and Rome.  

Once presiding over the Forum of Arcadius, later the Ottoman-era Avrat Pazarı (women's market), what now remains of the monument is hemmed in by dense urban development. It appears as a crumbling chunk of masonry with only a portion of the base of the column visible, six meters (11 feet) wide and almost 11 meters (36 feet) tall. Behind a fence, it is wedged between two buildings which rise to about the same height as the ruin.