Description

Among all the riches sheltered in Istanbul, one of the rarest and most interesting is without a doubt the Basilica Cistern. The cistern was built on the orders of Emperor Justinianus I in the middle of the 6th century. This large underground cistern was known as the Basilica Cistern during the Byzantine period, and is known today as the Underground Cistern. The water comes from the Eğrikapı Water Centre in the Belgrad Forest via the Valens and the Mağlova aquaducts. There are 52 steps leading down into the cistern, which is held up by a total of 326 columns, situated nine meters apart. The walls are made from brick and are 4.80 meters deep. The floor is covered with a special mix of plaster (Horasan) that makes it waterproof. The cisterns can hold up to 100,000 tons of water.

The Basilica Cistern was turned into a museum and opened to visitors by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality after undergoing repairs during the Republican period. In 1985 and again in 1994 it underwent major cleaning and restoration work. Today's Cistern, as well as being a museum, acts as a stage for national and international performances. The Basilica Cistern's Summer Concerts have now become an integral part of summer. Other performances that can be seen in the Cistern are Classical Turkish Music Concerts, Mawlana Sema Performances and Basilica Cisterns' Poetry Evenings.

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