The Basilica Cistern is a large underground reservoir built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in 532 to supply the palace with water. The cistern is located in the very center of Sultanahmet. We came here right after breakfast, when there were practically no people inside. Very impressive, mysterious place. Soothing dripping water flowing from eight-meter underground columns. Large, outlandish fish swim in clear, transparent water, which have never seen sunlight. You can wander around the Basilica for hours, thinking about the frailty of life and the mercilessness of time.→