The underground cistern, which is 143-meters long and 65-meters wide, could hold up to 80,000 cubic meters of water. Only 50 meters of the original length is destroyed and more than 900 meters are still standing. Its also a good place to head if the sun is getting too much. Most of the water was collected from the Belgrade Forest and other areas outside the city. Thank you. Aqueduct of Valens Arches 1-40 and 46-51 date back to the time of Valens. Like Maglova and Uzunkemer, Egri Aqueduct is finished in the 1560s and built by Architect Sinan. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. A Roman Aqueduct was built in late antiquity to bring water to Constantinople from the mountains of Thrace. Today, Atatrk Boulevard - built in the 1950s - passes under its arches. Descending the 55 steps into the gloom of the underground cistern is deliciously cool after being in Istanbuls blistering heat. Upside down Medusa statue at the Underground Cistern of Istanbul. It is located in the heart of Sultanahmet, close to other sights such as the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia. Thanks for the wonderful summary. The Underground Cistern is open to visitors every day between 09.00 - 17.30. Suggested duration 1-2 hours Suggest edits to improve what we show. After clearing out 50,000 tons of mud, rubbish and allegedy some bodies the Cistern was restored and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality opened it to the public in 1987. Naturally, they were all high on our Istanbul sightseeing list and maybe a boat trip on The Bosphorus if we had the time. It was built in the late 4th century AD by Constantinus. We went while we were waiting for prayers to finish at the Blue Mosque. Built by the Emperor Valens in the 4 th century, the Valens Aqueduct, also known as Bozdogan Kemeri in Turkish, has provided water to Istanbul for 15 centuries, during the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The portion of the Aqueduct of Valens that is located on Atatrk Bulvar was modernised by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 1988. You are welcome. Theodosius Cistern, Cistern of Philoxenos and Basilica Cistern can be visited as museums. Aqueduct of Valens (Bozdoan Kemeri) If you're into historical buildings like the Blue Mosque, this is one of the hidden gems that you really can't miss. The main reason I like it is that you can take fabulous photos from each side and corners if the light is right. The museum is located in Sultanahmet, Istanbul's most touristic district. Aqueducts are very spectacular examples of the art work of improvement inside the Roman Empire. But there is an unusual attraction in the city that has intrigued me since I first heard about it. Carp swim in the gloomy shallows beneath the boardwalk. DISTRICT Sultanahmet VISITING HOURS 09:00 - 19:00 ENTRANCE FEE 190 TL Official WEBSITE Underground Cistern Underground Cistern ON ISTANBUL MAP Share this page RECOMMENDED TOURS It covers nearly 1000 square meters. Therefore, the construction of the Valens Aqueduct started in 345 CE during the reign of Constantius II (337 - 361 CE). The cistern occupies an area of 1050 square meters. Why were Roman aqueducts above ground? Closed until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays. If you take Tram T1 from Kabatas Tram Station, you can reach Sultanahmet Tram Station in 15 minutes. The Basilica Cistern is one of two such cisterns open to the public. Make sure to visit Vefa Boza Shop, approx. It ensured that the people of, first Byzantium, then Constantinople and ultimately Istanbul were kept supplied with water. AUD $1,362,633. This marvelous piece of engineering only confirms yet again that those were the heydays of the Byzantine Empire. The 1500-year-old cistern is located underground and is dated to the Byzantine period. You can walk from distinctive structures such as Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque to the cistern. Thus, you will listen to the history of the cistern from the professional tour guide. Yerebatan Caddesi 13, Sultanahmet Istanbul Basilica cistern, Istanbul The underground cistern, which is 143-meters long and 65-meters wide, could hold up to 80,000 cubic meters of water. It was extended and maintained by the Byzantines and the Ottomans . Towards the back of the cistern in the far left-hand corner are two carved stone Medusa heads used as column bases. The Underground Cistern (aka Basilica Cistern) is open everyday between 9am-7pm and the entrance fee of the cistern is 190 TL for foreign visitors. In order to get to the Cistern from Taksim Square, you must first go to Kabatas with Funicular F1. By Travelmail Reporter. They connected the water pipes to the public fountains they built on the streets and provided water in this way. Underground Aqueducts: A First Preliminary Bibliography Around the World . No:22 Kat:3 (3rd Floor) Fatih After the fall of the Roman Empire, aqueducts were either deliberately vandalised or fell into disuse through lack of organised maintenance.This was devastating for larger cities. This ancient waterway or let's say aqueduct is one of the most intriguing spots for me in stanbul. Your email address will not be published. This underground chamber measures approximately 138 meters (453 ft) by 64.6 meters (212 ft) and is capable of holding 80,000 cubic meters (2,800,000 cu ft) of water. It took 28 years to build the Valens Aqueduct System and latest research on the aqueduct has suggested that - with its branches - it was 336 km long, nearly three times longer than the known length of any Roman water supply. It was constructed in 2012 to transfer water from the Melen Creek in Dzce Province to the European side of Istanbul. It was later restored between 1990 and 1993 to its modern-day look. Visiting hours were last revised on 10 August 2022. At 64, the Istanbul University professor is one of the first archaeologists in Turkey devoted to studying the city's underground spaces. During sieges this stored water would help the city survive while the army outside did not have enough water to sustain the siege. The cistern or, Yerebatan Sarnc (sunken palace) in Turkish, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the streets of Istanbul. Valens Aquaduct, Istanbul You may see the details of this tour on the HOMEPAGE of the blog. It unites the two sides of the river which creates an amazing picturesque view. The largest of these stone blocks are placed under the two short columns at the end of the cistern. Hi Zana, thank you for the great review. Author of this blog, Serhat Engul, is a licensed tour guide based in Istanbul. It turns out the aqueduct is of Roman origin. Their origins are unknown, but thought to be removed from a Roman era building. Thanks for the info : ). Divanyolu Cad. As part of a project commissioned by Publiacqua in 2020, in partnership with the University of Florence, architect and photographer Davide Virdis immortalized a little-known subterranean spectacle, the aqueduct nestled beneath the area around Forte Belvedere and piazzale Michelangelo, reached by climbing via dell'Erta Canina. Let me know if you need any help when you visit Istanbul. The ceiling of the cistern is supported by 336 reused columns from the ancient Greek period. Your email address will not be published. Hi Lacy, no official information has been given about when the Basilica Cistern will reopen. The first production to film the Cistern was In 1963, From Russia With Love starring Sean Connery. The citadel of Gjirokastra had underground reservoirs to store water provided by an aqueduct, which was some 10km long, one of the longest of the period. I guess the latter is true since the heads were probably reclaimed from another Roman building and not made to measure. Because the atmosphere of the cistern is so fascinating. The structure of the aqueducts is visibly different than the others that are built by Ottoman in the Halkali region, thus it is believed that the aqueduct was later repaired by ottomans and continued to be used in the water system during the years of the Ottoman Empire. La Tagliata a perfect Positano Restaurant reviewed, Istanbul: Basilica Cistern | Settlers of Qatar, [] For a more detailed account of the cistern check out A Travel Bunnys article. [], Hagia Sophia Pictures from a Museum | The Travelbunny, [] Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern are close by but save the Hagia Sophia til [], Istanbul and the Beauty of the Blue Mosque | The Travelbunny, [] to Istanbul and Sultan Ahmet Camii was high on my must-see list along with Hagia Sophia Mosque and The Basilica Cistern. Look out for the signs. In this way, it is visited by an average of 3 million people a year. All of these major aqueducts and many more were used to carry and store the water in the cisterns in the city. Not available. The aqueduct remained in use for many centuries. Our hotel in Istanbul was in the Sultanahmet District, close to The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. Serial traveller and ex-professional travel planner. Feeling high: This picture from 1915 shows that the aqueducts were of interest even then. a hydraulic system of water aqueducts located in the Mexican Central Plateau (AB ev) Banska Stiavnica. I wish you a wonderful trip! Experience the grandeur and exoticism of the Byzantine Empire and unleash the secrets of its millennium-long history in this full-day guided tour. In fact, the Basilica Cistern has been under restoration since 2015. It was built in the late 4th century AD by Constantinus. After visiting historical monuments such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, you will feel like you have traveled to another world when you go down to the Basilica Cistern. Museum Pass Istanbul is not valid in the museum. From these cisterns, the water is directed to hammams and fountains all over the town which mostly are active even they do not use the provided water from the cisterns. However, they did not use the cisterns. I offer PRIVATE HALF DAY TOUR which includes a visit to the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern and the Spice Bazaar. Having said that I did dare to gaze and am still here to tell the tale. +90 212 455 13 00 Save + - Leaflet Valens Aqueduct The 921-meter long Valens Aqueducts - a prominent landmark in Istanbul's Fatih district - played a vital role in supplying water to the people of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. However, the restoration, which took 7 years, ended in July 2022. The Basilica Cistern was rediscovered in 1545 A.D. when people in Istanbul were observed fishing though holes in the ground. Most of the Byzantine cisterns in Istanbul are found in and around Sultanahmet. Curious to know more he entered via a stone staircase in the back yard of a house and the cistern was re-discovered. Watch on. Experience the grandeur and exoticism of the Byzantine Empire and unleash the secrets of its millennium-long history in this full-day guided tour. Aqueducts of Istanbul are the most interesting buildings which also could be noticed in daily life and have a nice touch in the citys historical look with all the other monuments. Many historians consider this to be due to the superstitions of Byzantine society. However, this factory prevents people from visiting the aqueduct all along. Basilica Cistern opening hours are between 09:00 in the morning and 19:00 in the evening. Still, most of these aqueducts, dams, fountains, cisterns and hammams are in very good shape, moreover, some of them continue serving after all these years. It looks like the restoration will continue throughout this year. 2. There is usually a queue here but a visit is worth the wait our you can buy a. Famously used as a backdrop in James Bond movie From Russia with Love, the 6th century cistern provided a fresh water supply for buildings including the Emperor's palace. This made citizens spend so much time with water and the constructions that are related to water, in order to supply, carry and store it in the most convenient way. Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque. Valens Aqueduct is one of the largest structures of Istanbul; it is 920 meters long and 30 meters high. Filed Under: MUSEUMS Tagged With: Istanbul Sightseeing, Museums of Istanbul. Most of the water was collected from the Belgrade Forest and other areas outside the city. They consist of underground water channels, water pipes, tunnels, and aqueduct bridges. Valens Aqueduct - approximately 920 meters long - is one of the aqueduct bridges of Valens Aqueduct System bringing water from Thrace to Constantinople (Byzantine Istanbul). In 330 CE, Constantine I (Constantine the Great) declared Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire. He has identified more than 300 sites, and he knows there . For this reason, you will see stone blocks of various sizes under each. However, it provides guided tour service without waiting you in the queue for a long time. We then transferred to Goreme in a [], Travelbunny Trips in 2012 | the travelbunny, [] We then travelled by bus to Pamukkale, had beach time in Bodrum and finished off our trip in Istanbul. The Aquaduct was built in the 4th century by Romans and it surrounds the Women's Bazaar. Visit the most fascinating and spectacular sights of the old city in this specially curated tour. The Basilica Cistern takes its name from the Stoa Basilica, the public square under which it was built. Look out for the signs. The aqueduct is 710 meters long and 26 meters in height. A brief history of water supply and . This gave the aqueduct a total length of at least 426 kilometers, making it the longest of the ancient world. The Ottomans repaired the Valens Aqueduct and continued to bring water to the city through the Roman system. The Theodosius Cistern, another Byzantine cistern serving as a museum, is also located very close. The Historical Peninsula on which Constantinople was founded was a place known for its scarcity of water resources. In this article, you can find information about the 1500-year history of Theodosius Cistern. One Medusa statue sits is on its side while the other is upside down supposedly to remove her powers. 7. Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnc) The aqueducts under the Fatih Mosque, the Ahmediye Mosque, the Sleymaniye Mosque and the Museum of Archeology have been photographed for the first time, she added. I am a licensed TOUR GUIDE IN ISTANBUL. The water that is brought to the city was used to be stored in the Basilica (Yerebatan) Cistern and the Philoxenos (Binbirdirek) Cistern. In the image above, you can see a photo of the cistern taken after the restoration. If there is a change, I will note it in the article. Today the old water supply system as well as new dams and three lakes built nearby supply water to the heavily populated city. The Medusa Heads hidden in the farthest corner of the cistern will be the most interesting part of your visit. What is unlucky about Maglova is the dam that almost covered the structure. Does anyone know when the Bascilica Cistern will reopen? Thats enough to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Property "15th arrondissement of Paris, Paris, le-de-France" was deleted, sold or offlined by agent, but we found properties for Sale within 50.0 Kilometers, in Paris, sorted by Nearest from "15th arrondissement of Paris, Paris . It took the builders about 28 years to fully . This is the problem ancient techniciansperhaps Persian, perhaps Armeniantried to solve millennia ago. In fact, once you enter this mosque you will understand that because of it low ceiling and the columns which create narrow spaces. - This Istanbul underground cistern is the size of a cathedral; it is 143m long and 65m wide and can hold up to 80,000 cubic meters (or 17.5 million gallons) of water. In this way, it is visited by an average of 3 million people a year. It took 28 years to build the Valens Aqueduct System and latest research on the aqueduct has suggested that - with its branches - it was 336 km long, nearly three times longer than the known length of any Roman water supply. The face of Medusa, a mythological creature, is engraved on these giant blocks, which cannot be noticed at first sight.