Column of Marcian

The Column of Marcian stands in the middle of a quiet neighborhood, topped by a weathered Corinthian capital that once supported a statue of the Emperor Marcian. It is carved from red Egyptian granite, sitting on a base of white marble decorated with crosses and wreaths. In the fifth century, this monument marked the official entrance to the city for imperial processions. Locals still call it the Kiz Tashi, or Maiden's Stone, because of a persistent, groundless legend that a dragon hid beneath it.