Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns under the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), Turkey. The cistern, is close to the Hagia Sophia.
History
Emperor Justinian I commissioned his city prefect Longinus to build it. It was completed in 532, after the Nika riots. As many as 7,000 slaves worked to build the cistern.
The large cistern provided a water source for the emperor's palace. Sometime before the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 the cistern was closed. It was discovered in 1545 by Petrus Gyllius. After that Ottoman city officials used it for dumping waste including corpses. It has been restored at least three times. In 1985 it was closed for cleaning again. In 1987 it was opened to the public as a tourist attraction. 2 million tourists visited the Cistern in 2013.
Size
The cistern is a huge underground room that measures about by It is about in area. The cistern can hold of water. The ceiling is supported by 336 marble columns. Each one is high.
Modern Culture
The cistern was used for a James Bond movie From Russia with Love. Also the 2009 movie The International was shot here. The 2011 video game, Assassin's Creed: Revelations includes scenes from the Basilica Cistern.
References
Other websites
Basilica Cistern by Gizemli Kisi
The Basilica Cistern, the Coolest Spot in Town
Kerim Bey's Escape Route (Basilica Cistern)
Buildings and structures in Turkey
6th-century buildings and structures
Byzantine Empire