Palace Cistern (Yerebatan Saray), Istanbul

In the left corner, in the far end, of Basilica Cistern are two columns standing on a Medusa head each. One of the Medusa heads are upside down and the other is lying on its side. Because they are like this they are probably not for decoration but only old stones that have been reused.
Medusa, who according to the Greek mythology could petrify with her looks, is now “in stone”.

In the back of the sunken cistern there are two columns which have bases that are Medusa's Heads. There are many legends surrounding these columns and there are 3 prominently displayed placards that describe the tales. Don't miss them if you make it here!

The Column of Tears is named, because of the tear like design it bears. It is located in the middle area of the sunken cistern and unfortunately there is not much information on it.

First constructed during the reign of Constantin I (306-337) the cistern was restored and extended by Justinian. There are twelve rows of columns supporting the superstructure, each with 28 columns.
The classical music and some pulsing lights makes this underground walk quite strange

This amazing Underground Cistern, or Yerebatan Sarayi, was originally linked to Topkapi Palace, but was closed off to stop the trafficking of stolen goods and abducted women. It also was the site of a battle between Mahmut II and the Janissaries around the time of the "Auspicious Event."

Now it is a huge cavern consisting of 336 supporting columns that are illuminated by red lights. You are able to walk through the cistern on wooden constructed walkways that are elevated above the shallow waters .

The place is eerily quiet except for the occasional pitter patter of random drops of water. It is occasionally used as a place for art exhibitions.

One of İstanbul's historical art product is the Basilica Cistern which is situated at a short distance further southwest of Ayasofya. This underground cistern, which was named idiomatically by the local people as "Yerebatan Palace" because of the columns that arise from its water and create an image of a place, was constructed by Emperor Justinianus The First (527-567 A.D). It is thought that in the late years of the Roman Empire, around the 3rd and 4th Century, at the place where the cistern is found today, there existed a great Basilica which was used for trade, legal, scientific and artistic activities. . According to their findings the cistern is a vast building of 140 m. long and 70 m. wide. In this cistern, which can be reached after walking down 52 steps on stone stairs, there are 336 columns each 9 m. high spaced at a distance of 4.8 m. apart. There are 12 lines of columns each line comprising of 28 columns. The columns erected in the water in this way resemble a vast forest and for that reason they happen to be the centre of attraction to the visitors as soon as they enter the cistern. The weight of the entire cistern's ceiling is adequately distributed to the columns through round arches. These columns are considered to have been collected from ancient buildings. They Are made of various types of marble and granite stones and they are mostly of one piece each although some of them are of two pieces placed on top of each other. The heads of these columns have different specialities 98 of them depict the Corint style while as the rest depict the Dor style.
The cisterns which were used to supply water to the Byzantium palaces and the surrounding buildings were used for watering the sultan's palace gardens for a short time during the Ottomans after their conquest of Istanbul in 1453 A.D. The Ottomans who preferred flowing water to stagnant one constructed their own water system in the city and the water from the cistern was no longer used.

open 7 days in a week between 9a.m.-5p.m.

Yerebatan Sarnici is a huge underground cistern built in 532. It is 140 metres long and 70 metres wide and the roof is supported by over 300 columns.
It is a quite nice atmospher in the cistern with classical music playing in the background, waterdropps dripping from the roof and rows of columns.
The columns are reused from ruined buildings. Medusa heads are supporting two of the columns. One of them is uppside down the other is lying on the side. For what reason it is like that is not known, but medusaheads were often incorporated in buildings of homes at a time for protection/luck.

The entrance fee is 10 000 000 TL.

The cistern's roof is held up by 336 columns, each over 26 feet high. Two columns rest on Medusa head bases in a corner of the cistern. The heads were plundered by the Byzantines from earlier monuments are are thought to mark a nymphaeum (a shrine to the water nymphs).