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Serpent Column

Name: Serpent Column
Rating: 4.6

4.6 ·

Pause at the Serpent Column, a bronze relic of ancient Greece standing in Sultanahmet Square. Study its twisted coils and worn inscriptions, then explore the rest of the old Hippodrome around it.

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Full description

The Serpent Column stands in Sultanahmet Square on the line of the old Hippodrome of Constantinople. Cast in the 5th century BCE to commemorate the Greek victory over the Persians at Plataea, it was dedicated at Delphi before being moved to Constantinople.

The three intertwined serpents' bodies still bear traces of the inscribed names of the Greek communities involved, though the heads are long gone. It is a short, free stop, open at any hour, and works best as a quick historical detour among the square's larger monuments.

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Address

Binbirdirek, At Meydanı Cd No:53, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye

Website

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Hours

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Booking

Walk-in

Duration

15 min

Best time

early morning, morning, afternoon, early evening or evening

Intensity

Easy pace

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Good to know

Combine it with the Obelisk of Theodosius and the other Hippodrome remains in the same square
it is open 24 hours, so an evening visit is easy
expect a quick stop of around 15 minutes.

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Reviews

The Serpent Column (Yılanlı Sütun) is in Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul, the site of the ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople. The bronze column was originally created in the 5th century BCE to commemorate the Greek victory over the Persian Empire at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BCE. It was first erected at the…

Al Kuehnast

2/5

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