Sightstation of Istanbul: Basil Tank

The dungeon of the ancient reservoirs of the basil tank, or, in Turkish, Yebatan-Saray ("Underground palace"), is located in the historic center of Istanbul. Entrance to the construction is located opposite the Cathedral of St. Sophia.

Constructed by the Greeks in the middle of the 6th century, the construction was actively used for ten centuries. Basilica was intended for storing eighty thousand cubic meters of drinking water, which was delivered by water supply and aqueducts from the Rodigrad Forests. Later, the reservoir was abandoned and contaminated. In 1987, the tank was cleared and created a museum in it.

Premise 145-64 meters in size is a catacombs with a series of eight meter columns that support vaulted ceiling. Doric and Corinth columns were taken from the destroyed pagan temples of Calkedon. Each is unique, as it consists of different marble grades and is characterized by processing. Some of them were made up of several fragments. Of particular interest are two columns of unknown origin, having an inverted head of the jellyfish gorgon at the base.

The attention of tourists attracts the pool of desires. Believe it says that if you throw a coin in it and make a desire, it will surely come true. They say the same property adopted by the ornament of a column of tears. You only need to insert a thumb into one of the patterns and make a palm full of turnover clockwise, without touching the columns.

Basil tank is a bondian series "From Russia with love" and plenty thriller "INTERNESHNL". One of the main scenes in the novel "Inferno" James Brown unfolds in the dungeons of Constantinople. Computer games fans will remember the task in Assasin’s Creed: Revelations related to this place.

Underground Istanbul Reservoir – Basil Tank
Column with jellyfish head at base