Turkey In Photos - Cistern Basilica

The Cistern Basilica also called the "Yerebatan Sarnici" is a cistern built for water storage purposes during the Byzantine Period in the 6th century AD.  Cistern Basilica is the biggest of some hundred cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul.  Cistern Basilica is located underground, illuminated and viewed from a wooden platform, appears to be without life, but the air is surprisingly fresh and the whole place imbued with a mysterious atmosphere. The Cistern Basilica is solidly cathedral-sized built, in the classical tradition, and its regular formal beauty is very charming.  The Basilica is only 200 mt. distance from the Sultanahmet Mosque and the Hagia Sophia.

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There are 12 colonnaded ranks, each rank with 28 marble columns, making a total of 336 columns, extending in a long and infinite perspective. The columns each are 8 metres heigh. The width of the Basilica Cistern is approximately 70 metres and its length 140 metres. The capitals (heads) of the columns are either Corinthian or Doric style.  At the far end of the Cistern Basilica, there are 2 medusa heads that was used as capitals for the columns.

According to ancient historians, there used to be a main basilica and also a smaller cistern on this site, built by Emperor Constantine during the Byzantine period. The Emperor Justinian, needing more water, had the cistern enlarged with the result that the basilica, which we are looking at now, was encircled and thus became incorporated in the new cistern, the Basilica Cistern.

This enormous reservoir supplied water to the city and the immediate suburbs as well as the neighbouring forests, just as the Valens aqueduct did for the eastern shores of the Sea of Marmara. During the Ottoman period this reservoir played an important role in supplying the palaces' gardens with water from for the summer months. In the course of the last 60 years the columns of the cistern have had to be strengthened and reinforced by further construction and restoration, visible in the immediate vicinity.

Because of its striking atmosphere and great acoustics some classical concerts are hosted at the Cistern Basilica.