Medusa heads at the Basilica Cistern
Beneath Istanbul lie hundreds of Byzantine cisterns, the largest of which is Yerebatan Saray Sarniçi, the Basilica Cistern (or Sunken Palace cistern). It is thought to have been built after the Nika revolt in 532 AD. After the conquest of the city by the Ottoman Turks, the cisterns were forgotten and were rediscovered in 1545.
There are 336 marble columns in the Basilica cistern, and the base of two columns is adorned with Medusa heads. Historians believe that the Medusa heads were used only because they were needed as pedestals for the columns in the construction of the Cistern. — Yerebatan Saray Sarniçi
According to our guide, when the Basilica cistern was built, they needed blocks to support some of the columns (hence, the Medusa heads). Some of these columns were taken from Ephesus. Christian Greeks built this cistern at the same time as the Hagia Sophia. They did not believe in “myths.”
February 6, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Well the cistern is located across the St Sophia and a must to see place, most of the city tours do not include a visit to the place but ask the guide to give you extra 30 min to make a visit. And will like it.
For more pictures and example tour options please visit the link http://www.ephesuswalks.com
March 23, 2009 at 1:00 am
I was there, it’s amazing! Fortunately, our guide had included this Cistern in our programme and I have to thank him for it. That’s something almost irreal, relaxing environment. As far as I was told, that Medusa was one of the three underground Gorgona Giant’s sisters. Out of these three sisters only Medusa was mortal and she had the power of transforming people who looked at her into stones.