The Basilica Cistern was built by Justinian I. It is a huge space of 9,800 square metres and can store about 100,000 tons of water. It is sometimes called the "Underground Palace" or "Cistern Palace" due to its beauty and numerous columns. It's hard to believe this wonderful place was built just to store water! After the conquest of Constantinople, water from the cistern was used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace. One of the strangest things about the cistern is the unusual Medusa head pillar base you can see there. According to Greek myth, the head of Medusa protects the place where it's located. Find out more legends, theories and history about this fascinating place from your expert guide. We hope your tour will be a memorable one and we look forward to see you in the future on another TravelShop Booking Tour. Have a safe trip back home and thanks for choosing TravelShop Booking.