In the depths of history
One of the magnificent historical structures of Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern, in the southwest of Hagia Sophia. This enormous underground cistern was built by a Byzantine Emperor in 527, it is the coolest thing to go and see . Discovered only 200 years ago, you enter into it from a tiny house on the street, go down 55 stone stairs and bingo you are underground in a huge water storage area, with its 336 9m high marble columns, its size of 140m long and 70m wide, with water that has fish swimming around in it, this is an amazing find, underneath the city of Istanbul, with a water capacity of 100,000 tonnes of storage, it is huge.
Two Medusa heads can be seen at the base of two of the columns, according to one of the myths, Medusa is one of the three Gorgonas which were the female monsters in the underground world, it is said that the Medusa had the power to turn people who looked at her into stones..
One of the columns is not marble, it is like a tree with knots in it and now it is covered in green slime, this is said to be the wishing tree, one of the knots has a hole in it where you are supposed to stick your thumb in and turn your hand in a complete circle and make a wish, so yup I did it!
The way they have the lighting down in the Cistern and the quietness of it with just the dripping of water sounds, it is quite a spiritual place, it feels more like a church, I am always amazed at how old things are here in Europe and how did they make these structures back in 527?
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