What was the Basilica Cistern in Constantinople?

The Basilica Cistern, known in Greek as the Basilike Kinsterna, is the largest of several hundred ancient subterranean water reservoirs located beneath Istanbul. Built in the 6th century during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, it sits southwest of the Hagia Sophia. Today, it operates as a public site containing minimal water for visitors.

What we know

• The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns lying beneath Istanbul, Turkey, and is also known by its Greek name Basilike Kinsterna. [1, 2]
• The cistern was constructed during the 6th century under the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I. [2]
• The structure is located 150 meters southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Emperor Justinian I?
• whereWhat is the history of the Hagia Sophia?
• the bigger pictureHow did Byzantine architecture develop in Constantinople?
• a case in pointWhat other ancient cisterns exist in Istanbul?
• what followedHow are modern underground spaces supplied and preserved?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a Parisian church connect to Byzantine design?The Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris was built using a neo-Byzantine-Romanesque plan chosen from seventy-seven proposals.

Sources

• [1]Basilica Cistern (Wikidata Q216511) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Basilica Cistern · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Sacré-Cœur, Paris · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Basilica (disambiguation) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Byzantine architecture · CC BY-SA 4.0