Basilica Cistern

Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern was the Byzantine Great Palace’s reservoir and is thought to have been built around 532 B.C. A forest of over 300 columns stands in several feet of water which is home to a large school of blind carp and over which wooden walkways have been constructed.

The Basilica Cistern was the Byzantine Great Palace’s reservoir and is thought to have been built around 532 B.C. A forest of over 300 columns stands in several feet of water which is home to a large school of blind carp and over which wooden walkways have been constructed. One of the highlights of the Basilica Cistern is the two columns whose bases are inverted medusa heads, repurposed from a Classical temple.