Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, TR

Basilica Cistern

Yerebatan Sarnici (Sunken Cistern) or Yerebatan Sarayi (Sunken Palace) in Turkish is the largest built ancient cistern that lie beneath Istanbul in 6th century during Byzantine Empire.  The cistern  provided water supply to great palace of Constantinople and other buildings and continued to provide water to Topkapi Palace on Ottoman Empire.  The underground cistern undergo several reconstruction and has been opened for public in 1987.

A Cistern is an underground reservoir for the storage of liquid especially of rainwater.

There are 336 columns that support the cistern, 12 rows with 28 columns each rows.

 

Each columns are 9 meters height

The only engraved column with hen's eye or tears shape.  The column

pays tribute to the slaves who lost their lives during the construction of the cistern.

The upside down head of Medusa

 Medusa's head, sideways

These two heads of Medussa attracts visitors' attention at the cintern.  Their origin is unknown but believed that they were taken from the buildings of late Roman period.

Myths : Medussa

Medussa was one of the Gorgons (Greek mythological, monster) with snakes hair that anyone who looked at her would turn into a stone.  Therefore, is it thought that Gorgons head, figure and statues were put with the aim of protecting great building. 

Another myth, was that Medussa is beautiful with long hair and dark eyes who had been inlove with Perseus, son of Zeus, the Greek idol.   Athene, another female idol who was also inlove inlove with Perseus.  Athene turned Medussa's hair into horrible snakes because of jealosy. Whomever Medussa looked at would petrified.  Into Perseus astonishment he beheaded Medussa and showed her head on his enemies, petrified them and thus won a lot of wars.

Medussa's head was engraved in the handles of swords in the believed of winning the wars, and on the pedestals of columns in ancient Byzantium for protecting the buildings.

Swimming fish

In the eyes of the present

Basilica Cistern

Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Turkey

September 2011