After the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome I wanted to get out of the rain and the cold for a bit. I popped into the first cosy-loooking place. They served warm wine but I ordered Turkish coffee and halva instead. The music was wonderful - romantic - or perhaps not ;-) I didn't understand a word. Found my gloves in my bag, yay!
As soon as I was a little warmer I ventured out again, turned the corner and there was the entrance to the Basilica Cistern. An incredible underground structure. I cannot describe it, you must see it for yourself. Most unusual.
It's well light but you have to use a flash for photography and that destroys the whole atmosphere.
This enormous underground cistern was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian (527-565). The cistern is 140m in length and 70m in width. There are 336 columns, each 9m in height. The columns compose 12 rows, with 28 columns in each row, the distance between the columns is 4.80m.
In the far left-hand corner two columns rest on Medusa head bases.
Afterwards I wandered through the streets back to my hotel. On the way 2 old men in a carpet shop invited me in for some tea, and a carpet. We had a great chat and a few laughs. They could speak some Afrikaans: Hoe gaan dit? :-)
At the hotel they welcomed me back with Turkish coffee and Turkish delight. And told me I could eat anywhere in Istanbul except at the restaurant across the road.
It all sounds too wonderful. I did not see this place and now have (another) good reason to go back. I wonder what someone had said to the other that caused such a rift between the hotel and the restaurant? Or was the food just bad?
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