Constantine I officially opened the city of Constantinople in 330 as the capital of the Byzantine Empire. The Column of Constantine (Cemberlitas) was also erected in 330 AD by order of Constantine and is an honorary column commemorating the founding of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. The column for more than a thousand years stood in the center of Constantine Square which was one of the most important centers of Byzantine Istanbul (Constantinople). The Forum of Constantine was a circular square with a public square, the Column of Constantine, and many shops, but nowadays nothing remains of this square, but the column still stands.