Native Name: YILANLI 'BURMALI' SOTUN
The Serpent column is situated in Sultanahmet Square . It was built in 479 B . C to commemorate the victory of the Greek city-states who united against the Persians when they invaded their country and won victories at Salamis (480 B . C , ) and at Platea (479 B . C . ) . They used melted metal obtained from weapons confiscated during war in its construction . The column was placed before Apollo Temple in Delphi . It was consisting of three entwined snakes looking at different sides and carrying a golden cauldron on their heads . On the bodies of those snakes were inscribed 31 names of the Greek city-states that participated in the war .
Serpent Column was brought to
Istanbul
at the age of
Constantine
the Great . The golden cauldron was lost and the heads of the snakes were broken at the beginning of 18th century . Only one of the heads can be found at the
Byzantine
Room at the second floor of Archaeological Museum . The column which was originally 8 meters high , only measures 5 , 30 meters high today as the heads of the snakes are missing .
