The ruins of the triumphal arch of Theodosius
The marble pieces that are located on Beyazit Square, Istanbul, belong to the triumphal arch and the forum built by and named after the last emperor of the Roman Empire – Theodosius “The Great” (4th century A.D.). The triumphal arch was situated on the southwest corner of the Theodosius forum (today, Beyazit Square). This area used to be called “Forum Tauri” (“The Bill Square”) but in the 4th century A.D., the name was changed into the “Forum of Theodosius”. During this record, the forum was surrounded by marble public and civil buildings decorated with porticoes.
The marble archeological pieces that can be seen today were found between the years 1948 and 1961 during the rearrangements of the Bayazit Square and the Ordu Street. After the discovery of these pieces, an experimental restitution was made in spite of the absence of some pieces and finally the probable form of the monument was established. According to this restitution, the arch had a vaulted roof with three passageways, the central one higher and the ones at either side lower. It was conceived to be similar to the ones in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire. In the middle was the statue of Theodosius; while on both sides were statues of his sons – Arcadius and Honarius.
Today, the main street that starts from Hagia Sophia Square is basically in the same direction to the west with the ancient Mese Road which formed the main artery of the remainings, continued on the trace and reached out the Balkan Peninsula. The triumphal arch and the surrounding ancient buildings, to which some ruins possibly belong were destroyed as a result of invasions and natural disasters like earthquakes from the 5th century on, thus their destruction was completed long before the conquest of Istanbul by the Turks.
