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Last additions - Turkey 2006 |
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I'm a little teapot, short and stout...189 viewsLooks more like a teapot now. The potter has formed the spout, and is getting ready to slap it on.Sep 27, 2019
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Stage 2275 viewsAt this point the new creation looks more like a vase than a teapot, but that will soon change.Sep 27, 2019
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Upside-down Medusa Head263 viewsWhy is this head placed upside-down? Legend says that it was to ward off the evil power of the Medusa's gaze, which turned people to stone. Did people really think that a marble carving could have such powers? Or was there a more practical reason?Sep 20, 2019
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Medusa Heads246 viewsThere are two marble Medusa heads in the Basilica Cistern, both used as column pedestals. Their origin is unknown. This one is upside-down.Sep 20, 2019
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Column Capital207 viewsThe Basilica Cistern was constructed with columns salvaged from ruins of older buildings, brought to Constantinople from all parts of the Roman Empire.Sep 20, 2019
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Entertainment Value270 viewsThe Basilica Cistern has been featured in a number of movies, including the James Bond thriller From Russia With Love, in which Bond took advantage of its location under the Soviet Consulate to get access to a cryptographic machine. In reality, the Consulate is nowhere near the Cistern.Sep 20, 2019
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Walkways200 viewsOriginally the only way to navigate around the Basilica Cistern was by boat. The platforms and walkways were built for the tourist trade, and the Cistern is left mostly empty for the same reason.Sep 20, 2019
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Basilica Cistern272 viewsThis huge underground cistern was built in the reign of Justinian (527-565 AD) to provide a filtered water supply for the Imperial Palace and surrounding area.Sep 20, 2019
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Richmond Hotel Lobby215 viewsLocated on Istiklal Street in the Beyoĝlu district of Istanbul, the Richmond was well-placed to optimize our navigation of the city.Sep 20, 2019
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Sideways Medusa Head274 viewsIt is thought that this Medusa head was placed sideways because only that orientation made it the right height to support the column which it supported.Sep 20, 2019
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Supporting columns240 views336 marble columns support the ceiling of the Cistern. Each column is 9 metres (30 ft) high. They are arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns spaced 5 metres (16 ft) apart.Sep 20, 2019
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The Hen's Eye Column190 viewsA column engraved with raised pictures of a hen's eye, slanted branches, and tears. Legend says that the tears pay tribute to the many slaves who died during the construction of the Cistern.Sep 20, 2019
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