UN-IMAGINABLE UNDERGROUND WATER RESERVOIR - BASILICA CISTERN|ISTANBUL,TURKIYE|4K HD VIDEO|MARCH 24

The Basilica Cistern -
Beneath Istanbul’s bustling streets lies the Basilica Cistern, or “Yerebatan Sarayı” - the “Sunken Palace” or “Underground Palace”. I initially believed that its gigantism owed it the name of “basilica”: spreading over an area of 70 per 140 meters and boasting 336 perfectly symmetrical underground columns, the definition seemed accurate to me.
Upon descending below Istanbul’s surface, I was swept away by the grandiose construction that was unfolding before my eyes, and couldn’t believe this was all underground.
This vast underground chamber, initially envisioned by Emperor Constantine and later expanded by Emperor Justinian, was designed to filter water for the Great Palace of Constantinople and edifices located on the First Hill of the city (the area containing Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Sultan Ahmet Mosque otherwise known as the Blue Mosque). The cistern’s significance persisted, even serving the Topkapı Palace after the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Byzantium. You might notice during your visit a column standing out for its “peacock eye” pattern: it is also called “the Weeping Column”, supposedly as a tribute to the slaves who died building this subterranean cathedral (7,000 of them are said to have worked on the edifice).
I found out that the Basilica Cistern was directly linked to an iconic figure of Greek mythology: Medusa. In the north-west corner of the cistern, two Medusa heads stir the visitor’s curiosity: one rests sideways at a column’s base, while the other is inverted. One of the Gorgons and the only mortal one, Medusa is depicted with a terrifying head of snakes.
Coming back to our Cisterna Basilica, the two Medusa heads were speculated to have been remnants from the Forum of Constantine. But their position sparks debate: some suggest that the Byzantine builders, seeing Roman relics as mere reusable rubble, positioned them without reverence. Others believe early Christians purposefully upended pagan statues, and turned them upside-down to cancel their power.
The entrance is located on Alemdar Rd, contrary to what Google Maps seems to indicated (it actually points out to the exit). So follow the line along the tramway passage and you should be able to find it. We found it was quite fast to queue up and bought the tickets directly on the site.
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