Basilica Cistern facts for kids
The Basilica Cistern is a huge, ancient underground water storage area in Istanbul, Turkey. It's the biggest of hundreds of cisterns hidden beneath the city. This amazing place is located very close to the famous Hagia Sophia building. Long ago, Istanbul was known as Constantinople.
History of the Cistern
The Basilica Cistern was built a very long time ago, in the year 532 AD. The powerful Emperor Justinian I ordered it to be built. He asked his city leader, named Longinus, to make it happen. It was finished right after a big event called the Nika riots. About 7,000 people, who were forced to work as slaves, helped build this massive underground structure.
This large cistern was very important because it supplied water to the emperor's grand palace. For many years, it served its purpose. However, sometime before the Ottoman army took over Constantinople in 1453, the cistern was no longer used.
It was "rediscovered" in 1545 by a person named Petrus Gyllius. After that, city officials from the Ottoman Empire used it for throwing away trash and even dead animals. Luckily, the cistern has been cleaned and fixed up at least three times over the years. In 1985, it was closed again for a big cleaning project. Then, in 1987, it was opened to the public as a cool place for tourists to visit. In 2013, about 2 million people came to see this historic site!
How Big Is It?
The Basilica Cistern is like a giant underground hall. It measures about 138 meters (453 feet) long and 64.6 meters (212 feet) wide. That's a huge area, about 10,000 square meters (2.5 acres)! This amazing space can hold a massive amount of water, around 80,000 cubic meters (21 million gallons).
The ceiling of this underground room is held up by 336 strong marble columns. These columns are arranged in 12 rows, with 28 columns in each row. Each column stands about 9 meters (30 feet) tall. It looks like an underground forest of stone pillars!
In Movies and Games
The Basilica Cistern is so unique that it has appeared in popular culture. It was used as a filming location for a James Bond movie called From Russia with Love. Another movie, The International, also filmed scenes here in 2009. If you play video games, you might have seen it in the 2011 game, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, which includes parts of the Basilica Cistern in its story.
Images for kids
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One of the famous Medusa head pillars, turned upside down.
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The Hen's Eye column, with special carvings.
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Another view of a Medusa head, placed sideways.
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The entrance to the Basilica Cistern, ready for visitors.
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A wide view showing many of the columns inside.
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A close-up of a column with a Medusa base.
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Another angle of a Medusa head at the base of a column.
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The "Peacock-eyed" column, known for its unique design.
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Fish swimming in the water at the bottom of the cistern.
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The Cistern Cafe, where visitors can relax.
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The ceiling of the Basilica Cistern reflected in the still waters below.
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An art exhibit displayed inside the Cistern in 2010.
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A general view of the Basilica Cistern's vast interior.
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See also
In Spanish: Cisterna Basílica para niños
