Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is an ancient cistern that lies underneath the grounds of Istanbul. The cistern was built by Emperor Justinian in 532, in the former city of Constantinople, to supply water to the Great Palace. The cistern derives its name from Stoa Basilica under which it was built. The cistern was created to store 80,000 cu m of water. The 20 km long aqueduct was designed to deliver water to the cistern. The large water chamber is a size of a cathedral and is supported by 336 marble and stone columns in different styles and shape. Many of the columns have been brought from nearby temples and other ruins in the empire. The Hen's Eye column is distinctive with carvings of tears depicting the sacrifice made by all the slaves building the cistern. Two medusa columns basis are quite intriguing, considering one Medusa head is placed upside down. The cistern is a great place to escape the summer heat. It was featured in the famous James Bond movie From Russia with Love. Descend into this large water container and marvel the extraordinary piece of engineering of the Byzantine Empire!