The Underground Cisterns Of Istanbul

Across the city of Istanbul, there is hidden treasure beneath the streets, Roman architecture was originally designed to be a holding place for water, now they vary from being dry to hold a small amount of water creating an underground ‘CISTERN’.

The best examples of closed space are the Yerebatan and Binbirdirek cisterns. The biggest closed space Cistern in Istanbul, Yerebatan, was built by 7,000 workers with the order of Justinian I after the Nika revolt in 532 A.D. It is also called the Basilica Cistern, as it was built with the remains of a basilica, (Hagia Sophia) which was destroyed during a fire in 475 A.D. It is the most visited cistern today and hosts many national and international events as well.