Basilica Cistern
13 Yerebatan Caddesi, Istanbul 34410 - turkey
Phone: +90 (0)212 522 1259
|
Share |
Map |
|
|
|
Dating back to Roman times, the cathedral-like Basilica Cistern was originally an underground reservoir supplying water to Byzantine palaces. Housed across the road from Haghia Sophia, it is the largest of several ancient cisterns that still lie below the city. Featuring 336 Corinthian-style columns, it measures 140m by 70m and can hold 80,000 cubic metres of water. Today, however, the cistern holds just a couple of feet of water. Visitors can tour the underground reservoir via a series of wooden walkways. It makes for a welcoming, cool retreat from the heat of the city in summer.
|
|
|
|
|
