Aleksandar's column
Aleksandar's column (Serbian:Aleksandrov stub) is the monolith monument at the focal point of the King's Square in Carigrad, Nikolia. The monument was erected after the victory of the Allies in the wars against Terre des Gaules in 1850 by the order of then-reigning Emperor Aleksandar I of Nikolia. The column, as a part of the King's Square is listed in the ARCHO list of heritage sites since 1991.
Column
The Aleksandar's Column was designed by the Nikolian architect Lazar Petronijević, built between 1850 and 1853 and unveiled on 26th of June, 1853 (Emperor Aleksandar I's birthday). The monument is a monolith that is topped by a statue of an angel holding a cross. It is believed that the face of the angel was designed based on the Emperor Aleksandar I's face, which remains unconfirmed to this day.
The column itself is a sigle piece of red granite 25.45 m (83 ft 6 in) long and about 3.5 m (11 ft 5 in) in diameter. The granite was obtained from Azmir, Trellinese Empire and was transported by sea to the Port of Beograd, from which it then was loaded onto a specially built barge, which took it to Carigrad by river Dunav. The transport of the granite from the quarry to its final destination, the King's Square lasted for 3 months and it was one of the largest ventures in 19th century. Upon its arrival to the destination, the column, weighing 600 tonnes was erected within 2 hours by more than 3,000 men participating in the event. It is set so neatly that no attachment to the base is needed and it is fixed in position by its own weight alone.