Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)
Concealed beneath the bustling streets of Sultanahmet, the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı, meaning 'Sunken Palace') is the largest surviving Byzantine subterranean reservoir in Istanbul. Engineered in 532 AD under Emperor Justinian I following the Nika riots, this cavernous underground marvel provided filtered drinking water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and later to Topkapi Palace. Measuring 140 meters by 70 meters, the cistern is supported by a forest of 336 nine-meter-high marble columns arranged in twelve orderly rows, salvaged from classical pagan temples across the Aegean and Anatolia. Modern raised wooden walkways and an artistic low-energy lighting installation lead visitors over shallow, translucent waters inhabited by carp fish. The undisputed highlight is the two enigmatic Medusa head plinths positioned as pillar bases in the far northwest corner, a monumental testament to Roman stone carving.
“A breathtaking subterranean cathedral of 336 marble columns, built in the 6th century to store fresh water for the Byzantine Great Palace.”
— Tourism Compass Heritage Committee