The Most Common Yet Irresistible View From Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern
April 1, 2011 by Anil P.
Filed under Pictures and Video
This is probably one of the most common travel photos from Istanbul, Turkey you’ll find anywhere. The Basilica Cistern, built around the 3rd century, is an elegantly simple structure with the added bonus that it’s nearly impossible to take a bad photograph of. Everyone who visits does, and straight on from the entrance is the most popular and overdone shot; though too alluring to resist. These large columns, lit up in an eerie red reflecting off the shallow waters that flood the interior, are basically that. What you see is what you get – angle upon stone angle. Some columns toward the back of the cistern have upside-down Medusa heads, which are hyped enough by the signs and pamphlets to make them inevitably disappointing beyond the 20 Turkish lira entrance.
The site was originally the location of a Roman church, before being destroyed and converted into a water repository (aka. cistern). Though meandering around the narrow wooden walkways you’re likely to conjure up images of monks praying in solitude, the cistern had a much more practical purpose for most of its existence. The Byzantines and Ottomans both used it as a water filtration system, although how this was accomplished is neither explained nor obvious in the construction.
What Turkish authorities should really do is advertise the fact that you can’t take a bad (or even mediocre) picture of the Basilica Cistern, which sits underground right across from Hagia Sophia (immediately over the tram tracks facing it). The Basilica Cistern can be easy to miss however, since the entrance is hardly remarkable, if not a bit creepy to be honest.
You can see more of my pictures from the Basilica Cistern and the rest of Istanbul here.
The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011: Championship
It’s almost appropriate that Prague and Porto meet in the Championship of the Best City To Visit Travel Tournament this year. Both cities have been quite a force against against each opponent in every round thus far; and to be honest I can’t call or even begin to lean as to who will come out on top – winning $200 in the process. Of course, that’s all up to you. Your votes decide this year’s winner and who will hold the title of “Best City To Visit” in 2011. Register now to vote.
Rio gave Prague a run for its money but won’t be any easy rival to Porto. Vote to decide the best city to visit in 2011 – you must register to vote. The polls are open until next Monday, April 4th at 12pm US EST. (Email and RSS subscribers will need to click through to this page to vote.)
The Best City To Visit Travel Tournament 2011 - Championship: Prague vs. Porto
- Porto, Portugal - (Stephen) (75%, 24 Votes)
- Prague, Czech Republic - (Jeruen) (25%, 8 Votes)
Total Voters: 32
Loading ...You can view the entire tournament bracket in full size or click the image to view in wide-screen.
Rio, Chiang Mai, it was a great run but, alas, there can only be one. The final results will be posted next Tuesday, April 5th, so get your votes in now. Best of luck to Prague and Porto, may the best city win!
Don’t worry if you missed this contest, I run several throughout the year. You can be the first to find out about the next one by signing up for my email updates, RSS feed, or bi-monthly newsletter.
