The biggest and the most famous cistern of the hundreds built in the Byzantian era to provide Istanbul with water in times of scarcity, the Basilica Cistern was built in the year 532 by Emperor Justinian. It’s not the most famous cistern for no reason: its atmosphere will take you away from the chaos of Istanbul and back in time so you can enjoy the perfect opportunity to observe the finesse of the beautiful columns and Medussa statues built with the Ancient Greek and Byzantine architecture.