Entrance to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul
The Cisterna Basilica is one of the major attractions in the city of Istanbul. As the name implies, this is a water cistern that is as big as a basilica. This was built in then Constantinople during the time of Emperor Justinian I to ensure the water supply of the city. I didn’t really research much about my trip to Istanbul and I would have completely missed this if it didn’t show up in Google Maps as I was making my way to the better known landmarks. I was glad that I dropped by. Even if I did walk past it, it probably wouldn’t have registered because it looked like a modern glass building. I had no idea that much of what is to see there is actually underground.
Blue Mosque at Istanbul
It was blazing hot that afternoon and I was really in no mood to be walking around. However I knew that it would be a huge shame if I didn’t go out and see the sights since I was already here. This particular area of Istanbul seems to be rich in these historical structures. This is good so I don’t have to travel that much to get there. I was still trying to figure out the metro/tram system which meant that I would be walking for now. I managed to download the map data beforehand, so I still had some kind of map to guide me around even while I do not have any mobile data connectivity. Although it seems that the destinations weren’t really that far apart, it still felt like a long walk because of the intense heat.
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