Kız Stone (Markianos Column)

Physical Characteristics

The Kıztaşı, located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, is a historical monument erected in 455 AD in honor of the Byzantine Emperor Marcian. Column is made of gray granite and stands approximately 17 meters tall including its base and Corinthian capital together. One face of the base bears a Latin inscription commemorating its dedication to Emperor Marcian. The inscription contains the following lines place:

"Behold this, the monument of

Marcianus, the first citizen

Tatianus dedicated this work to him"

Legends

People the name "Kıztaşı" is attributed to various legends associated with the column. The most well-known tells of a young girl with magical powers who, during the construction of Hagia Sophia, carried a column on her back and, deceived by a demon along the way, left the column where it now stands. This legend is the origin of the column's name "Kıztaşı".

Kıztaşı Today

The column remained hidden from view for long centuries due to surrounding structures, but became visible again after the great fire of 1908 cleared its surroundings. Today, Kıztaşı stands at the center of a square in the Fatih neighborhood and welcomes visitors as one of the rare monumental structures surviving from early Byzantine Istanbul to the present day.