Marble obelisk, Istanbul

Marble obelisk, Istanbul (ancient Byzantium, later Constantinople), Turkey. This Roman obelisk was erected in Byzantium along the spina (the long, low wall running down the middle of a racecourse, usually decorated with monuments) of the Hippodrome of Severus (the modern Atmeidan) and was originally covered in bronze plates. Note the presence of significant weathering of the soft stone. Â© 1992 Craig R. Bina [Images] [Archaeology]