Basilica Cistern & Medusa: Istanbul’s Ancient Hidden Gem
Explore Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern: Discover Medusa’s Secrets and the Ancient Underground Wonder
Today I want to tell you the story of the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. I was really impressed when I saw its latest state after the restoration. What caught my attention the most were the Medusa statues. When I imagined these statues with their bodies, massive, magnificent structures came to mind.
Let’s start with a brief history of the Basilica Cistern. It was built in 526–527 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I to meet Istanbul’s water needs. It is also known as the Basilica Cistern because there used to be a basilica where the cistern is located. After the conquest of Istanbul, it was used as a water distribution center around Sarayburnu and Bahçe Kapısı, but when the Ottomans built their own water facilities, this cistern was no longer used and was forgotten until 1545. That was until a Dutch traveler named Petrus Gyllius, who during his visit to Istanbul, became interested in mysterious stories he heard from the locals. At that time, people living in the area were drawing water from the basement with buckets, and sometimes they even caught fish. When Petrus Gyllius descended underground, he was astonished by what he saw and began to write down the details of the columns and statues he found there. This is how the…
