The column of Marcian/Kiztasi in Istanbul and an evaluation of its restorations

Abstract

The Column of Marcian, or Kiztasi, is one of the magnificent monuments that were constructed in the name of Roman Emperor Marcian in Istanbul. It was built in his honor around 450-452. The monument consists of a square marble plinth block seated on a three-stepped platform and marble blocks on a single granite column topped with a marble column capital. Through the intervening years, the Marcian Column has been damaged by earthquakes, fires and repairs. With the 1999 earthquake, the column became slated on its axis; the iron rings on the bases and those on the body itself were dislocated; the capital was deformed and hairline cracks were found in the column's body. In 2005, the Marcian Column was restored by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. This article will examine the old and new restorations and will utilize contemporary restoration criteria to evaluate the last intervention.