Basilica Cistern
- Alemdar, Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
Beautiful yet eerie, Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) isn’t your average underground well. Dating back to the Byzantine era, the huge cistern was built in the mid-500s on the former site of a basilica. More than 300 marble columns provide a grand, serene atmosphere to what was essentially subterranean water storage.