Yerebetan Street, Istanbul, Turkey
Daily: 9.00am - 5.30pm (winter) or 6.30pm (summer)
Known as Yerebetan Sarnici (lit. Cistern Sinking into Ground) in Turkish, Basilica Cistern is the largest ancient underground water reservoir that lie beneath the city of Byzantium, which then became Constantinople and finally Istanbul as we know it today. It was built during the reign of Emperor Justinian I in 532.
Basilica Cistern isn't affiliated to the Ministry of Culture, thus Istanbul Museum Pass isn't valid for entry. At the point of writing, foreign visitors need to pay
₺20.00 (~S$5.90) per person to marvel at the atmospheric cistern.
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| Are you wondering why is it upside down? |
The cistern covers an area of 9,800 square metres, capable of holding 80,000 cubic metres of water. The ceiling is supported by a total of 336 marble columns.
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| Lots of fishes down there! |
It's said that the construction of the cistern involved about 7,000 slaves. It used to provide filtered water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and nearby buildings, as well as
Topkapi Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453.
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| Did you know that the cistern was used in a James Bond film titled 'From Russia with Love'? |
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| Such a sinister-looking, yet beautiful forest of columns~ |
On the northwest corner of the cistern lies two columns having their bases made of blocks carved with the visage of Medusa, a monster in Greek mythology whose gaze would turn anyone to stone. The origin of the two Medusa blocks is unknown.
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| Tradition has it that such blocks are to be oriented sideways or inverted to negate the power of the gaze. |
The cistern has undergone a few renovations since its establishment to ensure its preservation as a cultural heritage. While the last extensive cleaning was performed in May 1994, I found that the place was well kept when I visited it in 2015.
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