Istanbul · Historic Peninsula
BASILICA CISTERN
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is one of the most impressive cultural heritage sites reflecting Istanbul’s rich historical legacy.
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Basilica Cistern
About Us
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is one of the most impressive cultural heritage sites reflecting Istanbul’s rich historical legacy. Constructed during the reign of Emperor Justinian I (527–565 AD), this magnificent underground structure became known among locals as the “Sunken Palace” (Yerebatan Sarayı) due to the marble columns that appear to rise from the water. The structure, whose Latin name is Cistern Basilica, is also referred to as the “Basilica Cistern,” a name derived from the Stoa Basilica that once stood on the same site.
With a water storage capacity of approximately 80,000 tons, the Basilica Cistern is the largest covered cistern in Istanbul. It features a rectangular plan measuring 140 meters in length and 70 meters in width, covering an area of nearly 10,000 square meters. Historical records indicate that the cistern was supplied by aqueducts and rainwater and provided water for many years to the Great Palace and other surrounding structures. It also received water through the Hadrian Aqueduct.
Basilica Cistern
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Basilica Cistern
History
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527 - 565
The Basilica Cistern was built during the reign of Justinian I by excavating to a great depth the large courtyard, surrounded by columns on four sides, of the colonnaded public building known as the Stoa Basilica. The Byzantine historian Procopius records that the cistern was made to store the abundant winter water for the summer months. Most of the 336 columns that carry its vaults are pieces brought from older buildings. Its water came from springs in today's Belgrad Forest area north of the city, most likely through the aqueduct dating from Hadrian's reign.
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1453
After the Conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the Basilica Cistern continued to serve the water needs of Topkapı Palace for some time. As the surrounding area gradually became populated, the cistern also emerged as a vital water source for the local community.
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1544 - 1555
In the 16th century, the structure was “unnoticed” by Westerners until it was “rediscovered.” Between 1544 and 1555, the French naturalist and topography expert Petrus Gyllius, who lived in Istanbul, appears as the person who made this discovery. Gyllius was the first to measure the cistern’s dimensions and according to him, it was 336 feet long, 182 feet wide, and its circumference was 224 Roman steps. He also counted the columns and recorded that there were exactly 336 of them, as well as mentioning the existence of several wells on the top of the cistern. Gyllius’ statements about how people drew water with buckets, rowed boats, and used lamps for illumination inside the cistern, with air and light seeping through the wells, show that the locals were “aware” of the cistern at that time and this information has been passed down to the future.
Basilica Cistern