Serpent Column, Bronze monument at Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul, Turkey.
The Serpent Column is a bronze monument made of three intertwined snakes positioned in the ancient Hippodrome of Constantinople. The inscribed names of participating city-states run along its shaft as part of the World Heritage site.
The column was originally created as an offering in Delphi following a military victory against the Persian Empire. It was later moved to Constantinople and placed in the Hippodrome, where it has stood for centuries.
The inscriptions list 31 Greek city-states that joined forces in a shared victory, their names carved to be remembered forever. Walking around it, you can feel how this object connects visitors to an ancient moment of unity.
The monument stands outdoors in the Hippodrome area and is accessible year-round without restrictions. The ground is flat and easy to walk around, allowing you to explore it at your own pace alongside other nearby ruins.
One of the original serpent heads was separated from the column and now resides in Istanbul's Archaeological Museum. This separation happened centuries ago and tells its own story about how the monument changed over time.
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