Cisterns of Istanbul

Editor Istanbul

May 26 317 read

Cisterns of Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the few cities in the world with characteristics that may astonish visitors both above and below ground at a glance. Many visitors to Istanbul are ignorant of what they are losing out on at the city's depths. With all the mysteries of the "Istanbul subterranean," however, a completely separate history and existence awaits discovery. Underground cisterns are among the most remarkable and stunning buildings that have survived to the present day.

Istanbul, a city that has housed great empires, has many desirable characteristics. Constantinople, on the other hand, is one of the most besieged cities in history. As a result, the city faced several critical issues in proportion to its grandeur. The provision of water to the metropolis was the most crucial of these.

Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is regarded as Turkey's third most visited museum. Even now, people are fascinated by the cistern created by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian the First (527-565). It is so impressive, with its 336 columns, that it is often referred to as the Basilica Palace by the locals. The cistern has a surface area of 9800 square meters and can hold roughly 80 thousand cubic meters of water. In terms of marble material, the cistern is a tremendous find. The column heads come in a variety of forms, with some being designed specifically for the cistern. The brick-built cistern's walls are 5 meters thick. The walls were waterproofed by laying Khorasan mortar (Brick Powder Mortar) on the floor.

Serefiye Cistern

Theodosius Cistern was gathering water from the aqueduct known as the Galler. This 45 m Ã— 25 m subterranean cistern contains 32 marble columns, each around 9 meters long, and is supported by a brick roof. The Serefiye Cistern is smaller than other cisterns, with a space of 1125 square meters and 32 marble columns that stand nine meters tall, but it is around 100 years older than the Basilica Cistern, which was completed in 532.

Binbirdirek Cistern

Binbirdirek Cistern, one of Istanbul's largest cisterns, is one of the city's oldest buildings, dating from the Byzantine era. The cistern, which is located to the west of Sultanahmet Square today, was created in the 4th century, according to historical records. The cistern has 224 columns in all, 212 of which have remained to this day, and was erected to supply the city's water demands during the Byzantine period. The Binbirdirek Cistern, which was used as a silk workshop during the Ottoman Empire, is now a museum. In addition, it serves as a venue for various events and groups.