Cistern of Philoxenos

The Cistern of Philoxenos (Greek: Κινστέρνα Φιλοξένου), or Binbirdirek Cistern, is a man-made subterranean reservoir in Istanbul, situated between the Forum of Constantine and the Hippodrome of Constantinople in the Sultanahmet district. It has been restored and is now visited as a tourist attraction. The entrance is located at İmran Öktem Sokak 4.

Construction

The cistern was constructed under a palace, often identified as the Palace of Antiochos in the 5th century. ^[1]

The reservoir has a surface area of 3640 m², storing 40,000 m³ of water. ^[1] The cistern is composed of a large hypostyle chamber supported by vaults. ^[1] The 224 columns, each 14 to 15 meters tall, are made of marble from nearby Marmara Island. Each column is a superposition of two columns, joined by a marble ring. The floor of the cistern was later reinforced, so that only the upper column and a short sleeve of the lower column are thus visible. The original height can be seen in an escavated pond with four columns in the middle of the cistern. Most of the columns, and also the caps, are engraved with a Greek mason's mark. ^[1]

Restoration

The cistern was restored by Justinian I in the 6th century, after the palace was completely destroyed in a fire in 475. After the conquest of the city by the Ottomans in 1453, the cistern fell into disuse, and was forgotten until rediscovered during the construction of Fazli Pasha's palace on the same site in the 17th century. ^[1]

1001 columns

The name Binbirdirek translates from Turkish as "1001 Columns" although the true number is only 224.

References

Sources

• Alexander Kazhdan (éd.), The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, 3 vols., Oxford University Press, 1991 (ISBN 0-19-504652-8), s. v. Constantinople, Monuments of : Cisterns, vol. 1, 518-519 ;
• Müller-Wiener, Wolfgang (1977). Bildlexikon zur Topographie Istanbuls: Byzantion, Konstantinupolis, Istanbul bis zum Beginn d. 17 Jh. (in German). Tübingen: Wasmuth. ISBN 978-3-8030-1022-3. 

See also

• List of Roman cisterns

v t e Public spaces and structures of Constantinople Roads and squares Amastrianum Forum of Arcadius Augustaion Mese Odos Forum of Constantine Forum of the Ox Forum of Theodosius Palaces and mansions Great Palace of Constantinople (Boukoleon Palace Chalke Chrysotriklinos Daphne Palace) Palace of Antiochos Palace of Blachernae Palace of Lausus Palace of Mangana Palace of the Porphyrogenitus Philadelphion Placidia Palace Prison of Anemas Harbours Harbour of Eleutherios Harbour of Julian Kontoskalion Neorion Harbour Prosphorion Harbour Public buildings Basilica Cistern Baths of Zeuxippus Cistern of Aetius Cistern of Aspar Cistern of Mocius Cistern of Philoxenos Hippodrome of Constantinople Imperial Library of Constantinople Praetorium of Constantinople Theodosius Cistern Valens Aqueduct Statues and columns Column of Arcadius Column of Constantine Column of the Goths Column of Justinian Column of Marcian Horses of Saint Mark Milion Serpent Column Obelisk of Theodosius Portrait of the Four Tetrarchs Walled Obelisk For churches and monasteries, see Template:Churches and Monasteries of Constantinople

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Coordinates: 41°0′27″N 28°58′28″E / 41.00750°N 28.97444°E / 41.00750; 28.97444