The Cistern of Philoxenos ( el, Κινστέρνα Φιλοξένου), or Binbirdirek Cistern, is a man-made subterranean reservoir in
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
, situated between the
Forum of Constantine and the
Hippodrome of Constantinople in the Sultanahmet district. It has been restored and is now visited as a tourist attraction. The entrance is located at İmran Öktem Sokak 4.
Binbirdirek Cistern is the second largest cistern in Istanbul after the
Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica ( el, βασιλική κινστέρνή, tr, Yerebatan Sarnıcı or tr, Yerebatan Saray, label=none, "Subterranean Cistern" or "Subterranean Palace"), is the largest of several hundred ancient ciste ...
.
Construction
The reservoir has a surface area of 3640 m
2, storing 40,000 m
3 of water.
[ The cistern is composed of a large ]hypostyle
In architecture, a hypostyle () hall has a roof which is supported by columns.
Etymology
The term ''hypostyle'' comes from the ancient Greek ὑπόστυλος ''hypóstȳlos'' meaning "under columns" (where ὑπό ''hypó'' means below or un ...
chamber supported by vaults.[ The 224 columns, each 14 to 15 meters tall, are made of ]marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
from nearby Marmara Island
Marmara Island ( ) is a Turkish island in the Sea of Marmara. With an area of it is the largest island in the Sea of Marmara and is the second largest island of Turkey after Gökçeada (older name in Turkish: ; el, Ίμβρος, links=no '' ...
. Each column is a superposition of two columns, joined by a marble ring. The floor of the cistern was later reinforced, so that only the upper column and a short sleeve of the lower column are thus visible. The original height can be seen in an excavated pond with four columns in the middle of the cistern. Most of the columns, and also the caps, are engraved with a Greek mason's mark
A mason's mark is an engraved symbol often found on dressed stone in buildings and other public structures.
In stonemasonry
Regulations issued in Scotland in 1598 by James VI's Master of Works, William Schaw, stated that on admission to the guil ...
.[
]
Restoration
The cistern was restored by Justinian I
Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized '' renov ...
in the 6th century, after the palace was completely destroyed in a fire in 475. After the conquest of the city by the Ottomans
The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922).
Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
in 1453, the cistern fell into disuse, and was forgotten until rediscovered during the construction of Fazli Pasha's palace on the same site in the 17th century.[
]
1001 columns
The name "Binbirdirek" means "1001 Columns" in Turkish, although the true number of the columns is only 224. The difference is due to the Turkish expression, "binbir" (i.e. 1001), being a turn of phrase that is often used to express a large sum or array of something.
Gallery
File:Binbir direk 5195.jpg, Cistern of Philoxenos general view
File:Binbir direk 5193.jpg, An excavated pool showing the original height of the double columns. The cistern was constructed under a palace, often identified as the Palace of Antiochos in the 5th century.[Müller-Wiener (1977), p. 280-81]
File:Binbir direk 5186.jpg, Cistern of Philoxenos ceiling
File:Binbir direk 5182.jpg, Cistern of Philoxenos Capital with mason's mark
File:Binbir direk 5190.jpg, Cistern of Philoxenos Column with mason's mark
See also
*List of Roman cisterns
The list of Roman cisterns offers an overview over Ancient Roman cisterns. Freshwater reservoir were commonly set up at the termini of aqueducts and their branch lines, supplying urban households, agricultural estates, imperial palaces, therma ...
*History of Roman and Byzantine domes
Domes were a characteristic element of the architecture of Ancient Rome and of its medieval continuation, the Byzantine Empire. They had widespread influence on contemporary and later styles, from Russian and Ottoman architecture to the Italian ...
References
Sources
* Kazhdan, Alexander (éd.), (1991). ''The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', 3 vols., Oxford University Press, (), ''s. v.'' Constantinople, Monuments of : Cisterns, vol. 1, 518-519 ;
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Philoxenos, Cistern of
Roman cisterns
Cisterns in Istanbul
Byzantine secular architecture
Fatih