Basilica Cistern

 Today it rained a lot.  So we didn’t do our planned walking around.  It was still raining when we had to leave for our 4:30 tour of the cistern.  The hotel gave us umbrellas and off we went. 

The pictures will not do this place justice.  It was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian. After the Rome became Christian all 336 of the columns were recycled from previous temples.  Some have ornate tops, others are plain, and some had letters/words on them and were shaped into columns.  The walls are 13 feet thick and covered with a waterproof mortar.

The Byzantine and Romans only used it to its full capacity - then it went largely unused expect for some neighborhoods around it.  It had fish in it and people would fish through some holes in the roof.

This is a replacement column put in during one of the restorations

They say many people died during the construction of this cistern and now use this column that looks like teardrops to remember them by.  Also this column always has some water running down it.

More stairs!!!

Street corn…Yummy

This cat was expecting to be fed and did not want corn.  She/he settled right in Shan’s lap.  That is until a man came by and gave it its dinner of cat food.

  

In the 1-2 hours we were out of the hotel we were asked 2 times if we were twins! 

This doesn’t include the man at lunch asking us.  So 3 times just today!

We just don’t get it!!