Mily—the starting point of the Byzantine Empire in the heart of Istanbul

Imagine this: you’re standing by a bustling tram line in the Sultanahmet district, just a few steps from Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern, and right in front of you is an unassuming fragment of white stone jutting out from beneath the sidewalk. Tourists rush past, unaware that it was from this very spot, 1,500 years ago, that all the roads of the Eastern Roman Empire were measured. This is the Milion (Greek: Μίλιον, Turkish: Milyon taşı)—the “mother of all milestone stones”—built by Septimius Severus in the 3rd century and transformed by Constantine the Great into the zero meridian of Byzantine civilization. Once, Milion was a majestic tetrapylon with a dome, statues of emperors, and a sundial; today, all that remains is a single marble fragment, raised onto a pedestal in 1968—and this modesty only enhances its archaeological significance.

History and Origin of the Milion

The original monument was erected by Emperor Septimius Severus in the early 3rd century CE, back when the city was still called Byzantium. It was a relatively modest boundary stele, marking the starting point for measuring distances in the eastern part of the empire. However, the true destiny of the Milia began in 330, when Constantine I the Great moved the capital here and proclaimed it “New Rome.”

In rebuilding Byzantium on the model of Old Rome, Constantine deliberately copied its symbolism. Thus, the Milestone assumed a role analogous to that of the Roman Milliarium Aureum (“Golden Milestone”) in the main forum: roads to all European cities of the Byzantine Empire were measured from it, and the exact distances to Antioch, Thessalonica, and Adrianople were carved into its base. The monument stood in the first district of the city, at the western edge of the old walls of Byzantium, precisely where the main street, Mesa (Μέση Οδός), made a characteristic bend from the northeast to the west.

Byzantinist John Norwich described its original appearance as follows: “The central point of Constantine’s new city was the Milion, or First Milestone. It consisted of four triumphal arches forming a square crowned by a dome; atop it was placed the most revered Christian relic—the True Cross of the Lord, brought from Jerusalem by Empress Helena a year or two earlier.” Beneath the dome stood statues of Constantine and his mother Helena, facing east and holding the cross, with a sculpture of the city’s goddess Tyche behind them.

In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian I added a sundial to the building—a gnomon in the form of a gilded angel blowing a trumpet. His successor, Justin II, adorned the lower tier with statues of his wife Sophia, the daughter of Arabia and niece of Helena. Gradually, the monument was adorned with equestrian sculptures of Trajan, Hadrian, and Theodosius II, as well as a bronze quadriga of Helios—each generation added its own touch, transforming the utilitarian “zero kilometer” into an ideological showcase of the dynasty.

Architecture and What to See

To appreciate what Miletus was like in its heyday, one must mentally transform the current colorless fragment into a full-fledged two-level complex. The modern fragment is merely a column of one of the four supporting pillars, excavated during the 1967–1968 digs and re-erected on a small pedestal at the northern corner of Hagia Sophia Square.

Tetrapylon with a dome

Architecturally, the Milion was a tetrapylon—a double triumphal arch open to all four cardinal directions. The dome rested on four massive arches, and the street of Mesa ran beneath it: travelers literally entered the empire through the gates, on which the distances to its major cities were carved. Compared to the relatively simple Roman “Golden Stone,” the Milion in Constantinople was far more complex—it was a freestanding pavilion with an interior space, sculptural decoration, and painted vaults.

Sculptural Program

The most revered relics and statues were placed at the top of the dome. In addition to Constantine with Helena and the True Cross, there stood Justinian’s gilded angel, equestrian depictions of Roman and Byzantine emperors, and the quadriga of Helios, clearly referencing ancient solar symbolism. In the first half of the 8th century, Emperors Philippicus and Anastasius II adorned the vaults with frescoes depicting scenes from the Ecumenical Councils—a clear theological statement.

Iconoclastic Alterations

During the Iconoclastic period (mid-8th century), Emperor Constantine V ordered the church scenes to be knocked down or painted over, replacing them with depictions of hippodrome races and chariots. This gesture perfectly illustrates what the Milion was to the townspeople: not merely a milestone, but an ideological screen that every ruler sought to rewrite to suit his own agenda. Today, none of this is visible on this sole surviving pillar—but it is precisely the knowledge of the context that transforms a silent fragment into an eloquent text.

Place in the Urban Ensemble

Milius stood west of the Augusteion—Constantinople’s main ceremonial square—and a few dozen meters from Hagia Sophia. Once upon a time, every journey to the provinces began here, and triumphal processions ended here as well. During the Komnenian era (11th–12th centuries), thanks to its advantageous strategic location, Milion often became the scene of urban battles: between Emperors Nikephoros III and Alexios I, and between government troops and Empress Maria of Antioch, who controlled the Augusteion from here. After the fall of the Latin Empire, in 1268–1271, the monument, along with the square, was transferred to the ownership of the Hagia Sophia.

What to see today

Today’s visitor sees only a single vertical fragment of white marble, about two meters high, surrounded by a low metal fence. An information plaque in Turkish and English briefly explains the history. But the surrounding context is magnificent: Hagia Sophia is 30 meters away, the entrance to the Basilica Cistern is 50 meters away, the Blue Mosque is a five-minute walk, and Topkapi Palace is ten minutes away. That is precisely why most visitors to Istanbul walk past Milion without even realizing they have touched the starting point of an entire empire.

Interesting Facts and Legends

• In 1204, during the sacking of Constantinople by the Crusaders, Justinian’s gilded angel was torn from the roof and melted down into coins—a typical fate for Byzantine relics during that catastrophe.
• According to legend, the Holy Cross, brought from Jerusalem by Empress Helena, was kept on the dome of the Milion—meaning the monument served simultaneously as both the city’s “zero kilometer” point and its most important Christian shrine.
• The monument survived both the Latin Pogrom of 1204 and the siege of 1453, but disappeared in the early 16th century not due to war, but due to peaceful “urban development”: it was apparently dismantled during the expansion of a neighboring aqueduct and the construction of a suiteraza—an Ottoman water tower.
• The 1967–1968 excavations began with theoretical calculations: scholars determined the probable location based on ancient sources, secured the demolition of the houses standing above it, and discovered part of the foundation and a supporting pillar. The discovery was identified by the characteristic bend in the Byzantine sewer system, which exactly matched the described bend in Mesa Street.
• The Constantinople Milion served the same function as the Roman Milliarium Aureum erected by Augustus—but was significantly more complex architecturally: essentially an entire building rather than a simple pillar.

How to get there

The Milion is located in the Fatih district (historically Eminönü), in the Çayaloğlu neighborhood, at the northern corner of Sultanahmet Square, next to the exit from the Basilica Cistern and almost directly opposite the south side of the Hagia Sophia. GPS coordinates: 41.008043, 28.978066.

The most convenient way is to take the T1 tram line to the Sultanahmet stop. This line runs through Eminönü, Karaköy, and Kabataş, so you can get here from most tourist areas in 15–25 minutes. From Istanbul Airport (IST), take the M11 metro to Kâğıthane Station, then the M7 to Mecidiyeköy, and transfer to the M2 with a connection to the T1; the total trip takes about 1.5 hours. From Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) — take the Havabus to Taksim, then the F1 funicular to Kabataş, followed by the T1 tram.

On foot from the Grand Bazaar — 12–15 minutes down Yerebatan Caddesi. From the Eminönü pier (ferries from Kadıköy and Üsküdar) — about 10 minutes uphill. The site itself is located right out in the open, next to the sidewalk, so there are no tickets or set hours: you can visit at any time of day.

Tips for travelers

The best time to visit is early morning or in the evening closer to sunset. During the day, Sultanahmet Square is packed with tour groups, and the tiny fragment of the Milios Monument is easy to miss in the crowd. In the morning, between 7 :30 and 9 :00, the area is almost empty, and the light falls perfectly on the white marble—a great time for a peaceful photo and a moment of quiet contemplation.

It’s an outdoor site that requires no ticket, no dress code, and no need to remove your shoes—a rarity in Sultanahmet. It fits perfectly into a “historical day” itinerary: start at Hagia Sophia (opens at 9 :00), head down to the Basilica Cistern, walk up to the Milion for just five minutes, then on to the Blue Mosque, Hippodrome Square with its Egyptian obelisk and Serpentine Column, and finally Topkapi Palace. This way, you’ll walk through the very first district of Constantinople, for which the monument was erected.

Bring comfortable shoes (the cobblestones get slippery after rain), water, and a wide-angle camera—you’ll be taking photos here amid dense urban development. In winter and fall, bring an umbrella: there’s no shelter near Milion, and rain turns the marble into a mirror. Russian-speaking travelers will find it particularly interesting to compare the logic of the Byzantine “zero kilometer” with the Moscow marker on Red Square near GUM: in both cases, the idea is the same—a symbolic point from which the state measures its geography.

If you have an hour to spare and an interest in archaeology, after visiting Milion, stop by the Istanbul Archaeology Museum in the Topkapi complex—it displays fragments of Byzantine inscriptions similar to those that once covered the monument’s base. Thus, a brief stop at an unassuming ruin turns into a full-fledged dialogue with the city’s thousand-year history, and Milion ceases to be “a stone everyone walks past” and becomes what it was originally intended to be: a point of reference.