The 143 meters long and 65 meters wide, Basilica Cistern, gets its name from the Ilius Basilica dating back to the 6th century. Out of hundreds of cisterns currently hiding beneath the city of Istanbul, Basilica Cistern, the largest of them all, was opened to public viewing in the year 1987.
The 28 Corinthian styled marble columns, each spaced 4 meters apart, were built to provide a water filtration system to meet the needs of the Topkapi Palace and other properties on the First Hill. Judging by the carved artwork on the pillars, one could imagine the skill level of the workers from the Byzantine Era. It is also claimed that almost 7000 slaves have worked towards establishing this enormous monumental structure.
At its entrance, the flight of stairs leads down the hall way connect the concrete walkways to the beautiful pillars enhanced by subdued lighting which in turn create an intricate pattern of the shadows. With the Turkish music playing in the background, it definitely enhances the historic value of this place. The atmosphere within the four walls of this cistern is surprisingly calm and soothing and this is strikingly contrasting to the outside world.
There is also a small pond besides the walkway with some exotic and playful fish. Their movements create an illusion in the water and this is special in its own way.
Moving further inside the cistern, one could see the casually positioned Medusa heads which are placed so as to support the mighty pillars and are possibly placed upside down to nullify the power of Gorgons Gaze.
Although renovated over the years to keep its history intact, the Cistern’s beauty continues to attract many, given all odds.
Get to the Sultanahmet area by a tram or funicular. It is diagonally across the street from Hagia Sophia.