History of the Basilica Cistern İstanbul-Turkey

History of the Basilica Cistern

History of the Basilica Cistern

"A Muslim is entering the courtyard of his house, the last rung of a ladder in the dark and damp down until the end and I known how the people of Istanbul by the Byzantine Empire under the great domes of the Basilica Cistern find.

Increase the horror of the darkness even more enlightened place to place with a light indigo-colored, greenish waters, the land disappears under the domes, water leaked through the walls and each side is shining, like a pruned tree trunks in the forest standing in front of the eye reveals a vague order of columns inexhaustible. "

Edmando De Amicis

In the middle of the historical peninsula and the Basilica Cistern, Byzantine Emperor in 542 AD Justinian (527-565) by the Grand Palace, was built to meet the water needs. Due to the rising of the water, the grandeur of the marble columns in the Underground Palace, also called by the public. Foreign sources, the Basilica (Basilica), it is claimed that the name Basilikası'ndan Ilius located near the cistern.

The Basilica Cistern, a huge building covering an area of ​​9800 m2. Here, there are 336 columns, each 9 meters high. These columns erected at certain intervals, also give rise to 12 to 28 units in each row. These columns of water rising in a vast forest, and visitors to the cistern as soon affects remembering.

The northwest corner of the cistern is used as the base under the two columns per two Medusa is one of the masterpieces of Roman art of sculpture. Many legends are based on the mythology of this cistern Medusa'yla makes it even more mysterious. According to a myth of the female monster Medusa underworld is one of the three Gorgonadan. This is positive, and his three sisters only Medusa yılanbaşlı ministers have the power to turn to stone. At that time, to specific locations in large buildings and paintings and sculptures of the heads of Gorgona is placed in order to protect from evil, and this idea of ​​Medusa supposedly placed here. According to another rumor Medusa black eyes, long hair and a girl with nice body boasted. Perseus, son of Zeus loves for a long time. Medusa by Perseus, and love and jealous of Athene in the meantime. To do this, Athene, Medusa's hair, puts a terrible form of snakes. Now who looks at Medusa, one of stone cut looks. Then, when I saw this format in mind büyülendiğini head of Medusa, Perseus cuts enthusiasm, picked his head turning to stone enemies win many battles. After this vakıadan Medusa, the former Byzantium, and the side opposite the column bases and handled sword kabzalarına said.

The cistern has been renovated several founding to the present day. The cistern was restored twice in the first repair of the Ottoman Empire period III. Ahmet time (1723) was built by architect Mehmet Agha of Kayseri. Sultan Abdulhamid II is the second repair. Abdulhamid II (1876-1909) was timely. Republican period, and the cistern cleaned by the Istanbul Municipality in 1987, opened to the public by making a trip to the platform. Again in May 1994 was a major cleaning and maintenance.

Trip to Istanbul is an integral part of this mysterious space programs to date, Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok'a hold former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto religion, former Prime Minister of Sweden, and Austria's former Prime Minister Göran Persson'a Thomas Klestil ' to many people was a guest.

Currently, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Culture Inc. subsidiary operated by the Basilica Cistern, the museum hosts many activities besides being a national and international.