The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica (, or , "Subterranean Cistern" or "Subterranean Palace"), is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey. The cistern, located southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I. Today it is kept with little water, for public access inside the space.

History

This subterranean cistern was called Basilica because it was located under a large public square, the Stoa Basilica, on the First Hill of Constantinople. Prior to its construction, a great basilica stood on the spot. It had been built during the Early Roman Age between the 3rd and 4th centuries as a commercial, legal and artistic centre.

1985–1987 works

The first major modern restoration of the Basilica Cistern was undertaken by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality between 1985 and 1987. Elevated wooden walkways were introduced, allowing the structure to open to the public as a museum in 1987.

2020–2022 restoration

A comprehensive restoration was carried out between 2020 and 2022 by the İBB Miras team.

Concrete walkways and a 50&nbsp;cm-thick cement render added in the mid-20th century were dismantled. Approximately 1,440 m<sup>3</sup> of concrete and 1,600 m<sup>3</sup> of sediment were removed, revealing the original 6th-century Byzantine brick floor beneath.

New LED lighting and sensors were also installed to support atmospheric lighting and non-invasive digital exhibitions. Nationally, it is protected under Turkey's Law No. 2863 on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property as a 1st-degree archaeological site.

This classification restricts permanent alterations and mandates that all interventions be reversible and approved by the Istanbul No. 1 Cultural Heritage Preservation Board. cistern is an underground chamber approximately by – about in area – capable of holding of water. marble columns, each high, arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns each spaced apart. The capitals of the columns are mainly in the Ionic and Corinthian style, with the exception of a few Doric capitals with no engravings. One of the columns is carved with raised pictures of a Hen's Eye, slanted branches, and tears, and resembles the columns of the 4th-century Triumphal Arch of Theodosius I (AD 379–395), erected in the 'Forum Tauri' Square, today's Beyazıt Square. The majority of the columns in the cistern appear to have been recycled from the ruins of older buildings (a process called 'spoliation'), likely brought to Constantinople from various parts of the empire, together with those that were used in the construction of Hagia Sophia. They are carved out of different types of marble and granite.

Medusa column bases

thumb|upright|The second Medusa head pillar

The bases of two columns In the northwest corner of the cistern reuse blocks carved with the face of Medusa. The origin of the two heads is unknown, though it is thought that they were brought to the cistern after being removed from a building of the late Roman period. There is no evidence to suggest that they were previously used as column bases.

The cistern was used as a location for the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love.

In the fantasy series The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix, the reservoir beneath the palace in Belisaere was inspired by the cistern.

In the 2011 video game, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, the player-controlled character, Ezio Auditore, is given the chance to explore a section of this cistern in a memory sequence entitled The Yerebatan Cistern.

The cistern with its inverted Medusa pillar featured in the 2013 Dan Brown novel Inferno (as well as its 2016 film adaptation).

<gallery mode=packed heights=150px>

File:Basilica Cistern Statue.jpg|Statues in Basilica Cistern

File:Basilica Cistern1.jpg|Art installation inside Basilica Cistern

File:Cisterna Basílica, Estambul, Turquía, 2024-09-28, DD 52-54 HDR.jpg|Columns and vaults of Basilica Cistern

Cisterna Basílica, Estambul, Turquía, 2024-09-28, DD 40-42 HDR.jpg|Medusa head

Cisterna Basílica, Estambul, Turquía, 2024-09-28, DD 73-75 HDR.jpg|Atmospheric lighting now brightens up a visit to the Basilica Cistern

File:Yerebatan Sarnıcı Istanbul.jpg|Unique "peacock-eyed" column in the Basilica Cistern

File:Constantinople imperial district.png|Cisterna Basilica is located to the west of Hagia Sophia and is of a similar size. The square on the left of the map marks the location of the Cistern of Philoxenos.

</gallery>

See also

  • Cistern of Philoxenos (Istanbul)
  • Ancient Roman and Byzantine domes
  • List of Roman cisterns
  • Theodosius Cistern (Istanbul)

References

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Byzantium 1200 | Basilica Cistern
  • Short BBC documentary on the Basilica Cistern [https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0gr04n9/istanbul-s-ancient-subterranean-basilica-cistern]