Basilica Cistern

References

Images

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern

Rows of stone columns rise from shallow water in the dimly lit Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, with arched ceilings and reflections creating a dramatic underground scene.

Large stone Medusa head positioned sideways as a column base, partially submerged in water inside the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, Turkey.

Basilica Cistern: Media

cistern, Istanbul, Turkey

Images

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern, the largest of the ancient cisterns beneath Istanbul.

Dennis Jarvis (CC-BY-2.0) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Rows of stone columns rise from shallow water in the dimly lit Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, with arched ceilings and reflections creating a dramatic underground scene.

Istanbul: Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern, the largest of the ancient cisterns beneath Istanbul.

© Volodymyr Goinyk/Shutterstock.com

Large stone Medusa head positioned sideways as a column base, partially submerged in water inside the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul, Turkey.

Medusa's head

Sculpture depicting Medusa's head in the Basilica Cistern, Istanbul, Turkey.

© Nikolai Sorokin/Dreamstime.com