The column of Justinian stood on the south-west of Hagia Sophia and was nearly as high as its dome. The column was built of brick and covered with a bronze sheating. On its top there was a statue of emperor Justinian (527-565) on horseback, the left hand holding a globe, the right hand raised and pointing to the east. It was probably the only monumental statue of an emperor that survived until the late byzantine time, and maybe this is the reason why it was then also believed to be a representation of Constantine the Great. The column and the statue were demolished only by the Ottomans shortly after the conquest in 1453.