The depths of history
One of Istanbul's most majestic historical monuments is undoubtedly the Basilica Cistern, built during the reign of Justinian I. It's sometimes referred to as the "Sunken Palace" due to the columns which rise up from the water. The "Basilica" part of the name comes from the fact that a basilica once stood on the spot where it was built.
The Basilica Cistern is 140 meters long by 70 meters wide and is reached by a 52-step staircase. Once inside, you are suddenly faced with 336 separate columns, each measuring 9 meters high, which are organized into 12 rows of 28 columns. Most of the columns were carved from a single piece of marble.The ground is made of bricks covered in Horsan plaster and can hold up to 100,000 tons of water. If you walk to the end and descend the steps, you'll find two columns whose bas-reliefs depict the head of Medusa. It's a curious find since no one knows exactly how or why it came to be.
According to popular belief, they once used these images of mythological beings to protect important buildings, and the face of Medusa was put at the farthest end so as not to petrify people when they entered. Another curious fact is that there are supposedly well openings in the basements of nearby homes which were once used to extract water. They even say there are houses whose basements contain entryways to previously unexplored parts of the Cistern.
As far as maintenance goes, they've done an excellent job. Lucky us as we can all enjoy the beauty and silence of this peaceful place.
