Start of the day, we visited Basilica Cistern which is a short walk from our hotel. This cistern is an underground chamber approximately 9,800 square metres in area and despite only a few feet of water lining the bottom nowadays it is capable of holding 80,000 cubic metres of water. The domed ceiling is supported by 336 marble columns, each 9 metres high, arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns. Water was delivered to the cistern via a 20km aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea. The entry fee in April 2015 was ₺20.

Inside Basilica Cistern.

One of the two Medusa heads.

No one knows how these Medusa heads become pedestals for the pillars.

Carps guarding coins in the pool.

Short history of the Basilica Cistern.