Day 2 of our Miray-sponsored tour had us doing a marathon walkabout through Old Town Istanbul. 31 of us set off at 9 AM. By the time the tour ended at 6 PM, only 8 of us hearty souls were still standing! Our fantastic guide Damla seemed to know everything about everything as she led us through every nook and cranny of Istanbul.
Of all the beautiful sights I’ve seen in Turkey so far, my favorite is the Basilica Cistern. It’s a collection of 336 marble & granite columns that lie deep beneath the city of Istanbul. Built in the 6th century, the cistern held water for the grand palace. The light changes every few minutes, making it a hauntingly beautiful sight.
9 responses to “Basilica Cistern”
Absolutely breathtaking pictures!
[…] gorgeous photos in Basia’s blog site made while enjoying some of the tours provided by Miray. See https://basiak.blog/basilica-cistern/ and the posts before and after that one. Here are a couple of “teaser” photos from her […]
Hard to believe that this cathedral-like structure was a cistern. I will add my “wow” to the others…
I know, amazing, isn’t it. It’s called Basilica Cistern, but its only connection to the Basilica was that at one time, that’s what stood above it.
Wow… JUST WOW ♥️
That’s what I was saying, the whole time I was touring it underground.
All I can say is a big WOW! If the launch was not delayed you probably would not have seen all this.
I know, right? Sometimes things work out just right.
Wow! Beautiful