Theodosius cistern

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
View of the cistern before the restoration

The so-called Theodosius Cistern ( Greek Κινστέρνα Θεοδοσίου , Turkish Şerefiye Sarnıcı ) is a covered cistern in Istanbul , the Byzantine Constantinople .

location

The cistern is located in the Binbirdirek district, not far from the Binbirdirek cistern , in the Fatih district of Istanbul under the town hall of the former Eminönü district . The glass entrance to the cistern is in Piyer Loti Caddesi .

history

Look into the vault

The cistern has been known as Theodosius Cistern since the 19th century, and Emperor Theodosius II is believed to have built it in the 5th century, although there is no reliable historical source for it. The Valens Aqueduct originally supplied a nymphaeum , the Zeuxippus Baths and the Grand Palace . Under Theodosius II, the water supply was reorganized and the cistern was built as one of several for temporary storage.

After an eight-year renovation period, the cistern was reopened to the public in April 2018. A glass building constructed by the architect Cafer Bozkurt serves as the entrance. The building is used for concerts and is illuminated with a light installation.

description

The small rectangular cistern is 42.5 meters long and 25 meters wide and extends from northwest to southeast. The vaulted ceiling made of red bricks is supported by four rows of eight nine meter high marble columns (80 cm thick) with Corinthian full-leaf capitals. The enclosing walls are made of bricks 35 to 36 cm long and 5 to 6 cm thick, which are separated by 6 to 7 cm thick horizontal joints.

literature

  • Philipp Forchheimer , Josef Strzygowski : The Byzantine water tanks of Constantinople (= Byzantine monuments. Contributions to the history of Byzantine architecture and the topography of Constantinople, Volume 2), printed and published by the Mechitharist Congregation, Vienna 1893, p. 61 ( digitized ).

Web links

Commons : Theodosius Cistern  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Şerefiye (Theodosius) Sarnıcı Giriş Yapısı , Arkiv, accessed on May 9, 2019; Theodosius Cistern, a witness to Istanbul's long history , Daily Sabah, April 27, 2018.
  2. ↑ Jonathan Bardill: The Palace of Lausus and nearby Monuments in Constantinople: A Topographical Study . In: American Journal of Archeology , Vol. 101, 1997, pp. 67-95, here p. 73.
  3. ↑ Philipp Forchheimer, Josef Strzygowski: The Byzantine water tanks of Constantinople . (= Byzantine monuments. Contributions to the history of Byzantine architecture and the topography of Constantinople, Volume 2), printed and published by the Mechitharist Congregation, Vienna 1893, p. 61.

Coordinates: 41 ° 0 ′ 26.1 ″  N , 28 ° 58 ′ 21.4 ″  E