Description

Essentials about the Serpent Column

The Serpent Column is probably one of the strangest monuments in Istanbul. It consists of a bronze column with three snakes entwined. Originally, the Serpent Column was located in Delphi, Greece, where it was erected by 31 Greek cities to commemorate the Battle of Plataiai against the Persians, right in front of the Temple of Apollo. In 331 AD, Constantine the Great moved it to Constantinople to decorate his new capital and placed it in the Hippodrome, where it can still be seen today.

Visiting the Serpent Column

Once the serpent heads carried a tripod, a symbol of the cult of Apollo. The tripod with its golden bowl was stolen during the Fourth Crusade and has since been lost. Later, the column is said to have been transformed into a three-mouthed fountain. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, one of the heads was damaged. Finally, in the 17th century, the serpent heads were completely cut off. One of the damaged snake heads was later found and is now on display in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.

As the Hippodrome was built over over time, the base of the serpent column disappeared below street level. In 1855 the base was uncovered again and so nowadays the column stands in a small depression.

Website

Unavailable.

Opening hours

None.

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Bus line TB2: Stop Sultanahmet Square

Tram line 1: Stop Sultanahmet

By car:

In the immediate vicinity of the Hippodrome there are a number of parking possibilities.