Day 20
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns beneath the city that provided a water filtration system for the buildings nearby. This underground chamber measures approximately 138 meters by 64.6 meters. It was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 532.
The entrance was just 5 minutes walk from our hotel room.
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Giant Medusa heads support two pillars at the back of the cistern, and why they are there remains a mystery. One of the Medusa heads is sideways and the other is upside down. Some believe that the stones scavenged from the Roman ruins may have just been the right size and shape to prop up the pillars. Other historians theorize that the early Christians who built the cistern may have purposely placed the pagan statues upside down in a bold statement of faith.
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