Cisterns

Istanbul has scarce natural freshwater resources and has historically struggled to procure enough water. Cisterns are one of the structures in the city’s water distribution system that help provide Istanbul and its inhabitants the supply of water needed. They are storage cellars that collect rainwater as well as water brought from the aqueducts, and from which the water is then distributed. The Basilica Cistern or Yerebatan Palace (Underground Palace) located near Hagia Sophia, is one of the oldest and largest underground cisterns in Istanbul.  It was constructed in the sixth century by Emperor Justinian and was still in use during the Ottoman Empire to irrigate the gardens of the Topkapi Palace. This image captures the majestic quality that the abundance of the very high marble columns (336 in total) gives the space. The columns’ orderly arrangement in symmetrically spaced rows, in combination with their reflections on the water, produces an amplifying effect and imbues the space with an aura of grandeur.