Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

Arts & Entertainment » Landmarks in Istanbul

Address: Istanbul

Tags cistern istanbul sight tourist

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Timinator

Compliment Timinator (13-03-2008)

“Yerebatan Sarnici” in Turkish, the Basilica Cistern is an amazing underground reservoir. It’s 143m long and 65m wide, was created as a water supply connecting to the Bosphorous in AD 532, and then forgotten at some point before the Ottoman conquest. It was rediscovered in 1545 when authorities - acting on stories that people with houses in the area could drop buckets into holes in their basement floors and pull up water with fish - dug it up. It’s now a museum.

Hundreds of columns, water dripping from the ceiling, carved medusa heads: everything combines to make an eerie, ancient-feeling place. It will usually be quite busy, but is definitely worth a look.

Tags istanbul, tourist, sight, cistern

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