page_title: Architecture of Istanbul
section_title: Serpent Column
hierarchical_section_title: Architecture of Istanbul / Ancient Greek and Roman structures / Serpent Column
caption_attribution_description: So-called "Snake column" or "Serpents column" that used to be in the centre of the Hippodrome in Constantinople. Originally it had three heads and came from Delphi, one of the heads is in the Istanbul museum today.
context_page_description: The architecture of Istanbul describes a large mixture of structures which reflect the many influences that have made an indelible mark in all districts of the city. The ancient part of the city is still partially surrounded by the Walls of Constantinople, erected in the 5th century by Emperor Theodosius II to protect the city from invasion. The architecture inside the city proper contains buildings and structures which came from Byzantine, Genoese, Ottoman, and modern Turkish sources. The city has many architecturally significant entities. Throughout its long history, Istanbul has acquired a reputation for being a cultural and ethnic melting pot. As a result, there are many historical mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, castles and towers to visit in the city.
context_section_description: One of the oldest monuments still surviving from antiquity is the Serpent Column, a monument built originally to honor Apollo for the victory over the Persians at Plataea in 479 BC. The column was moved by Constantine the Great when Constantinople became the new capital, and has stood at the Hippodrome of Constantinople ever since. According to legend, a member of the Polish Embassy visiting in 1700 damaged the top of it severely, breaking off the serpent heads, although in reality at least one of the heads had been reported as badly damaged two centuries earlier. The accepted version states that Mehmed II shattered it upon entering the city in triumph as its conqueror. The upper jaw of one of the snakes heads is on display at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul.
caption: The Serpent Column, the oldest surviving Greek monument in Istanbul
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