On the fifth day of our trip we toured the underground cistern and several museums, including the Archaeological Museum. I knew that Turkey had a long history and people had been living on Turkish land for thousands of years, however these two visits made this history feel very real.
I absolutely loved the Basilica Cistern; it was so still and peaceful. This huge structure lies hidden beneath the streets of Istanbul, and I would have never guessed it was there. Built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century A.D., the cistern has the capacity to store 100,000 tons of water. Large marble columns connected by arches distribute the weight of the ceiling. A few of these columns are noticeably different, like the one pictured above. This is due to the fact that, when the cistern was being built, the columns were brought from a variety of different buildings. Two of the columns even have large stone Medusa heads carved into their bases.
We also visited the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul. Here was saw remains such as the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great (325-311 B.C.) and the sarcophagus of another wealthy somebody, which is shown below. These great marble tombs are in pristine condition and glistening white. Thus, it was very interesting for me to learn that there is evidence to suggest that these tombs (and other marble structures) were once quite colorful. Imagining the Parthenon blue and yellow is much different than imagining it white.
And I've always had a fascination with bones and mummies… so this skeleton from 550 B.C. made the Archaeological Museum an extra special treat.
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