Rediscovery and the Present Day

The Basilica Cistern did not fall out of use as soon as the Eastern Roman Empire came to an end. After Istanbul came under Ottoman rule in 1453, the structure continued for some time to serve the needs of Topkapı Palace. Later, as Ottoman water systems developed, its original function gradually declined. Yet the cistern was never entirely forgotten. Houses had been built in the area above it. Some local residents could draw water from the cistern through wells they had dug. As a result, the structure remained connected to the daily lives of the people living there. The French scholar Petrus Gyllius, who came to Istanbul in the sixteenth century, investigated this underground structure while studying the traces of ancient Constantinople. Gyllius's work played an important role in bringing the cistern back to the attention of Western scholars. However, calling him "the man who discovered the cistern" would not tell the whole story. The people living here already knew the structure existed. During the Ottoman period, the cistern was repaired at various times, including during the reigns of Ahmed III and Abdülhamid II. The structure was transformed into a museum in the twentieth century. Between 1985 and 1987, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality carried out extensive cleaning and restoration work. Accumulated sediment was removed, walkways were built, and the Medusa heads became visible once again. The cistern opened to visitors as a museum in 1987. In a restoration completed in 2022, the structure's load-bearing system was reinforced, the reinforced concrete walkways were replaced with lighter platforms, and part of the original Byzantine flooring was uncovered. The lighting system was also renewed. Today, the Basilica Cistern is one of the rare structures that showcases both sixth-century water engineering and the changing history of Istanbul. Once a source of water for the city, it is now a museum that shares its past with visitors. Thank you for joining us on your visit to the Basilica Cistern.