Yerebatan Caddesi. Istanbul

Yerebatan Caddesi / Basilica Cistern

Atmospheric music, rosy flood lighting and the lilting sound of water lapping on marble – entering the Underground Cistern known in Turkish as Yerebatan Sarayi – or Basilica Cistern,

is an experience that charms all the senses.

Built to store water, the cistern dates back to Byzantine days when the city was called Constantinople. Built by Emperor Justinian in the mid-500s, the cavernous underground water-storage area has a vaulted brick ceiling supported by a forest of Corinthian-carved marble columns.

You may recognize it from a scene in the James Bond movie From Russia with Love.