Örme Dikilitaş

Once you reach Sultanahmet Square, you’ll notice an impressive stone monument known as the Walled Obelisk, standing in the area that once was the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome, the heart of public life and celebrations in Constantinople. The Walled Obelisk was built in the 10th century by Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. It was originally covered in gilded bronze plates that shimmered in the sunlight, giving it a magnificent appearance. Unfortunately, these plates were later removed or stolen during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, leaving behind the bare stone structure we see today. Even without its original decoration, the Walled Obelisk remains a powerful symbol of Byzantine craftsmanship and endurance, and it’s remarkable that it survived through both Byzantine and Ottoman times, allowing us to admire it today!

Standing at the southern end of the Hippodrome, the Walled Obelisk (Örme Dikilitaş) offers a stark, rugged contrast to the polished perfection of the Egyptian obelisk nearby. While it may look less refined at first glance, its history is perhaps more tragic and evocative of Istanbul’s turbulent timeline. Today, the monument rises as a 32-meter pillar of rough-cut limestone blocks, appearing almost skeletal against the sky. To truly appreciate it, however, you must use your imagination. In the 10th century, Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus restored this structure, covering it entirely in gilded bronze plates that depicted the victories of his grandfather, Basil I. An inscription at the base once boasted that it rivaled the Colossus of Rhodes, glittering like a second sun in the center of the city. The heartbreak of this monument lies in what is missing. During the Fourth Crusade in 1204, Latin troops looted Constantinople and stripped the bronze plates to melt them down for coinage. What remains today is the naked masonry core, pockmarked with hundreds of holes where the anchors once held the gold. It is a hauntingly beautiful sight—a silent, weathered witness to the looting of an empire. Don’t just walk past it; look closely at the scarred stones to feel the weight of a lost era.

Cool experience sit right outside the blue mosque at the top of the hill in the center of what was the hippo dome great experience best wishes on your travel and get out there and see the world

Looks great. It’s crazy how it’s built and standing. It is just in front of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, and seeing it in person is much more than it looks in the picture. There are more obelisks in the same lane; you should explore all of them.

The masonry obelisk is not technically and obelisk as it was not made in Egypt or made from Aswan granite. Built by the Romans, this would originally have been plated with bronze, which was sometime later taken from the facade. The construction date is thought to have been the fourth century, and when the Hippodrome was excavated, lead pipes were found running under both this column and the serpintine column, which lead some experts to think they may have been part of fountains in the past.

Örme Dikilitaş in Sultanahmet Square rises from the old Hippodrome with its rough stone blocks and visible repairs. Built during the Byzantine era and restored by Emperor Constantine VII in the 10th century, it once shone with bronze plates that were later stripped away. Today it looks bare, but standing here still connects you to centuries of Roman chariot races and imperial processions.

In English, word called "Walled Obelisk" that is situated at southern end of Sultanahmet Square (former Hippodrome of Constantinople) with an impressive height of 32m that until now the original construction is unknown. It is one the three remaining surviving monuments from Byzantine era. It was surrounded by a fence to protect it. You can see the inscription under the pedestal. It is an open 24/7 and no need to purchase tickets to fall in line.

The Knitted Column, which is 32 meters high, was made in a form that tapers towards the top. Normally, there was an obelisk in the middle of the hippodromes built during the Roman period. However, similar to the Circus Maximus hippodrome in Rome, which has two obelisks, a second obelisk was erected at the hippodrome in Istanbul to glorify the city. It is unknown who erected the Knitted Column, which is thought to have been erected in the fourth century AD. The inscription on the marble pedestal under the column facing the Blue Mosque reads, "This high four-faced monument, eroded over time, was transformed into a better form than we saw before by Emperor Constantine, the pride of the Empire." Colossus of Rhodes surprised; This bronze-covered column aroused admiration.” From this information, the column was built by Constantine VII. It is understood that it was repaired during the time of Porpyrogennetos (913-959). During this repair, the body of the Knitted Column and three sides of its footing were decorated with gilded bronze plates. During the crusades in 1204, people from Western Europe plundered the city and took away the brass around the column, thinking they were gold.