Tag Archives: Basilica Cistern

Exploring the Basilica Cistern in Underground Istanbul

Updated January 2023

Roman Emperor Justinian was a busy man. He directed the building of Hagia Sofia, hiring two renowned architects, 1000 master craftsman and 10,000 workers to get the job done. He ordered the renovations to the Chora Church (see upcoming blog post), the hippodrome and had the underground cistern built in 532 AD. The Istanbul facility has the capacity of 100,000 tons of water storage.

The Million Stone
The Stone of Million, starting point for all roads leading to Constantinople.
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