The story of Pompey's Pillar
Despite its name, the column has nothing to do with the Roman general Pompey. It was raised around 297 AD in honour of Emperor Diocletian, and medieval travellers gave it its later name.
It stands about 27 metres tall, cut from a single block of red Aswan granite, on the site of the Serapeum, the great temple of the god Serapis that also held part of the ancient library. Two sphinxes guard the hill.
