The Basilica Cistern: Constantinople's Subterranean Marvel

Dive beneath the streets of Istanbul to explore the Basilica Cistern, the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in the city. Built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, this underground reservoir could hold 80,000 cubic meters of water, supplied by the Aqueduct of Valens. Lucas and Luna uncover the engineering feats, the mysterious Medusa head columns, and the cistern's role in Constantinople's water supply. They also discuss its rediscovery in the 16th century and its transformation into a tourist attraction. Along the way, they touch on the city's other cisterns, the importance of water in Roman and Byzantine urban planning, and how the cistern became a pop culture icon. This episode reveals how a hidden water tank shaped the survival of a great city.

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