https://ae.trip.com/moments/detail/istanbul-258-119325318?locale=en-AE
Matthew馬非Hong Kong, China
levelIconSenior Travel Expert

Basilica Cistern, Turkey

There is an amazing attraction in Istanbul, Türkiye! Diagonally opposite the famous Hagia Sophia, there is a small house with an inconspicuous appearance. This small house is the underground water palace! ! The movie "New Iron King Kong: Wisdom and Evil City" was filmed here. The Basilica Cistern is actually an underground reservoir. The original site here was originally a church, but after a fire, Justinian I used 7,000 slaves to transform it into a reservoir, which became today's underground reservoir. Not only can it avoid the enemy's sight, but it can also solve the internal problem of lack of water at the same time. The aqueduct diverted water 20 kilometers away to the reservoir, and then sent it to various areas of Constantinople to become the daily drinking water for citizens. It was said that the water in the reservoir could be drunk by the entire city for a month! It’s amazing that previous equipment could produce such a huge facility. Today, the Basilica Cistern is still well preserved. There are 55 steps leading to the underground palace. The scene you see when you reach the underground palace is so shocking! The palace is 140 meters long and 70 meters wide, with a total area of ​​9,800 square meters and can hold 100,000 tons of water! And there are 336 9-meter-high pillars supporting the entire palace. Each pillar is made of different marbles. Among them is the famous "Column of Tears", which was built to commemorate the workers who died while building the palace. Because the surface of these columns is often wet, like tears, they are named "tear columns." ##Türkiye ##istanbul ##Underwater Cistern
View Original Text
󰴉In your selected region or language, selecting this Trip Moment's hashtags won't redirect you to the hashtag page
*Created by local travelers and translated by AI.
Posted: Jun 8, 2023
Matthew馬非
1 person found this moment helpful
Submit
1
Mentioned in This Moment
Attraction

Basilica Cistern

4.6/5393 reviews | Historic buildings
Istanbul
2024 Asia 100 - Best Things to Do
Available for tomorrow
AED 107.26
View
Show More
Related Moments
Basilica Cistern

🇹🇷Old Town|Underground Water Palace with 364 Stone Pillars

短腿玩轉世界
Basilica Cistern

Must-see attractions in Istanbul, Turkey: Basilica Cistern 💕

Travellingwithmimi
Hagia Sophia

Türkiye 12-Day In-Depth Tour: Real Hot Spring Experience Revealed

RoamingSoul
The Blue Mosque

Istanbul Travel Guide

Samuel Lee Michael
Topkapi Palace

2025 European Travel | The Ultimate Guide You've Been Waiting For

Resplendentgossamer
The Blue Mosque

Istanbul's Underground Palace: Not for the Faint of Heart

EagleVisionary
Hagia Sophia

Istanbul Underwater Palace

ESTELLA GRIFFIN
The Blue Mosque

Istanbul 1-Day Itinerary: Mosques & Underground Cistern

WhisperingWillow4444
The Blue Mosque

🇹🇷Turkey Travel Diary VOL.3

makaji
Galata Tower

Türkiye 4-day tour super detailed guide is coming! Save it now

Elizabeth Holmes47
Basilica Cistern

Just got back from Türkiye! Speak the truth from the bottom of your heart.

Kaytrip
Hagia Sophia

Türkiye 12-Day Senior Tour Super Detailed Guide is Here

789Max~Hayes@