{"id":15622,"date":"2014-06-09T04:58:59","date_gmt":"2014-06-09T04:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/travel\/?p=15622"},"modified":"2022-09-19T11:00:03","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T11:00:03","slug":"basilica-cistern","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/travel\/destinations\/turkey\/basilica-cistern\/","title":{"rendered":"Basilica Cistern, Istanbul"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\"Basilica<\/a>

Basilica Cistern is the largest underground ancient cistern in Istanbul, Turkey<\/p><\/div>\n

The cavernous depths of the Basilica Cistern aka Yerebatan Saray\u0131, located in Turkey, beckon the visitors to delve into the architectural studies of the Byzantine Empire. Even if you are not a student of archeology or architecture, the Basilica Cistern has a magnetizing appeal to draw the visitors. The name of the cistern has been derived from its location beneath the Stoa Basilica, the place where water was stored for the Great Palace and bordering buildings. The cistern’s disuse in the consecutive years led to its oblivion.<\/p>\n

In 1545, a scholar named Petrus Gyllius was told that they could get water from their basements and some of them also reported that they were also catching fish. He went in the basement of one of the homes and reached the cistern. His discovery went in vain when the Ottomans didn’t pay any attention to the upkeep of the underground palace. As a result, the cistern was restored several times. One of the major restorations took place in 1987, when the municipality of Istanbul not only cleaned the cistern, but paved a way for the visitors to access it. In May 1994, the cistern underwent a major cleaning.<\/p>\n

The cistern was built using the ruins of the Pagan buildings, yet its symmetry is beyond measure. Descend the 52-step stone staircase to see the dark cistern. Do not miss two columns towards the northwest side of the cistern that rests upon the inverted head of Medusa. The column placed in the center has a teardrop design. The visitors tour the cistern by walking upon the elevated wooden platforms.<\/p>\n

Also Read :\u00a0Istanbul Street Food Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Visit the cistern and marvel at the engineering technique used by the Byzantines. You can also get your photos clicked inside the cistern. There is a place inside the cistern where you can wear the traditional dresses and get your snaps clicked.<\/p>\n

Basilica Cistern Location Map<\/span><\/h2>\n