Basilica Cistern - the Sunken Palace of Istanbul

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi)

The Basilica Cistern or the Sunken Palace, has been around since the 6th century when it was constructed as a reservoir for the palace of Constantinople and the surrounding neighborhood. It takes its name from the Stoa Basilica which once stood on the very same site.

There are 336 marble columns standing 30 ft. high supporting the ceiling. Many of these columns were recycled from the ruins of other buildings.

The vaulted ceiling and rounded arches remind one of the great cathedrals of Europe but the Cistern predates these cathedrals. It has been restored multiple times through the years and earthquake-proofed in 2017. The Cistern was reopened to the public in July 2022.

This is the bottom of the cistern with just enough water to reflect the columns and artworks scattered throughout. Visitors walk on raised walkways.

Here’s a Corinthian column decorated with acanthus leaves.

Peacock Eye or Column of Tears

This column may be a tribute to the slaves who died while constructing the Cistern.

These columns have a bell shaped base.

Two columns have the face of the Medusa as its base. These columns were only discovered in the 1980s when restoration of the Cistern was in progress. It has since been the prime attraction for visitors to the site.

Inverting the face of the Medusa is supposed to negate its power.

Seclusion, Muzaffer Tuncer

There are several works of art strategically placed throughout the Cistern. It’s part of the exhibition, Deeper Beneath. The artworks lend a mystical air to this hypogean basin from centuries past.

Sages, Ozan Ünal

Lily Lavi, Ozan Ünal

Glass Leaves, Ali Abayoğlu

Remember Tomorrow, Berman Bugdan

Lily Lavi, Ozan Ünal

Shell, Ozan Ünal (in the background)

Jellyfish, Ali Abayoğlu

Connection, Malik Bulut

I was initially apprehensive about going to the Cistern because I knew I would have to go down the stairs. There are 52 steps to take to reach the bottom. I didn’t know that before buying my ticket and it’s a good thing or I might have missed this truly spectacular place. It’s hard when you have knee problems but there were railings to hold on to as you can see from the image above. My other issue with this visit was the possibility of sliding and falling due to the wet walkways but the raised walkways were dry.

The Basilica Cistern ranks at the top of my favorite sites in Istanbul. View my video of the Cistern here: https://youtu.be/g9y7_PK2Kj0?feature=shared

Know before you go:

There is usually a long line of people outside the Cistern. To avoid this, it’s best to buy a ticket ahead of your visit so you can skip the queue. If you bought the Istanbul Pass, check if you have free or discounted entry to the site. For detailed information about the entrance fee, hours of operation and more, follow this link: http://yerebatansarnici.com/

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the

TravelswithCharie

Search This Blog