Constantine Column, Istanbul

Cemberlitas. (in turkish: cember-circle; tas - stone) or also known as Costantine's Column.

As I heard some guides are telling that it's the only column left from one big building, and if it's so big can you imagine how big should've been the buiding. But that of course is not true and most probably take it's origin from one of old stories.

The column was erected on 11 of May 330AD by Constantine The Great to inaugurate the new Byzantine capital. It's made of porphyry brought from Heliopolis, Egypt.
The column was made of ten blocks linked by bronze rings (50 m. - hight): it supported a statue of the emperor. Earthquakes and fires have greatly damaged the column and only six blocks are left. Because the column was fired quite lots of times the europeans also called it 'The Burnt Column'.

Since 1968 it is supposed that under the column there are parts of cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. That statement was made by Sevket Rado who researched a book from 17th century. It is believed that Constantine's mother - Helena, brought the parts of the cross from Jerusalem.
And it's a fact that on top blocks of the column was the description in pictures of the birth of Jesus Christ.

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Remains of a column erected by Constantine to celebrate the naming of Constantinople as capital of the Roman Empire