The dark cavern’s air was cool and damp, and condensation slowly dripped from the top of the cave to the water on the floor. The orange glow reflecting from the water onto the marble columns was ominous, and I felt as though I had stepped into the underworld. While it very well could have been Hades, I was beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey in the Basilica Cistern.
After two days in the city, I had no idea that such a thing existed. I walked past the unassuming entrance many times, thinking it was a small shop or museum. I actually walked on top of it many times without realizing it.
My travel companion met someone who said we had to stop at the Basilica Cistern, so she took me there without me knowing what it was. It turns out that the small building held a long staircase that allowed you to descend into the dark bowels of the ancient city. I took the following photos while inside (please pardon the blurriness; it was dark and my camera had trouble focusing).
The massive cavern was built in the sixth century during the Byzantine Empire under the direction of emperor Justinian I, when the city was still called Constantinople. It was used as a water reservoir for the Grand Palace and other buildings, and water was fed here from various aqueducts. There were many cisterns throughout the area, but this was the largest system. It’s thought that Emperor Constantine actually originally built the cistern and that Justinian simply expanded and rebuilt it.
Several feet of water still lurk on the floor of the cavern (along with some large fish), so wooden planks have been built throughout it so visitors can walk amongst it. The cistern is 105,000 square feet and is capable of holding 100,000 tons of water.
The Basilica Cistern is lined with 336 marble columns, each of which are about 30 feet tall. It gets its name because it sits at the site of a former basilica. A few scenes from “From Russia With Love,” a James Bond movie, were filmed here.
The entrance to the cistern is in Sultanahmet Square in the historic center of Istanbul. It’s right across the street from the Hagia Sophia, but you would never know it’s there from the street level. A few hours after visiting the cistern, we went to dinner nearby, and the waiter told us that we were actually sitting on top of the cistern.
One of the mysteries of the Basilica Cistern is the Medusa columns. These two columns toward the back of the cistern have Medusa heads on the base; one head is sideways, and the other is upside-down. Nobody is really sure why they’re there. It’s thought that they were taken from an ancient Roman building, though there is no agreement as to why they aren’t facing upright. Some think it’s to negate Medusa’s gaze, though others think it may have been for architectural reasons.
The Basilica Cistern was one of the creepiest yet most fascinating places I’ve ever visited. People taking holidays to Turkey should add this to their itinerary. Have you been, or would you want to go?
