The Cisterns and Aqueducts of Constantinople

The aqueducts and cisterns of Constantinople made up the most extensive water supply system in ancient history. This video - shot on location in Istanbul - explores the Basilica Cistern, the Binbirdirek Cistern, and the Aqueduct of Valens. For more, check out my travel channel @scenicroutestothepast

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Chapters:
0:00 Aqueduct of Valens
1:00 Cisterns of Constantinople
1:42 Basilica Cistern
3:33 Binbirdirek Cistern

[Arkanic]

Walking into one of these for the first time must be like walking into another world. Fantastic stuff.

[QUIRK]

Imagine fishing by firelight among creepy old marble capitals on a pitch black and dead silent lake. I'd be terrified to go disturbing its creatures.

[edgarsnake]

I'm happy to say that I visited the Underground cistern. At that time, about 30 years ago, it was a very rarely visited tourist spot. During the time my friend and I were there, we were literally alone!! It was magnificent and very eerie. The cistern was featured in one of the James Bond movies. The place is amazing, particularly if you like massive columns plundered from ancient buildings, which I do. Thanks for another fascinating video.

[erawanpencil]

This videos always make me wonder what would be the best way to NOT have your monuments destroyed by the forces of future humanity? It seems like practical structures like aqueducts and cisterns survive best... I really wish the ancients made the stonework in those more beautiful and artistic so we could still see their handiwork. Temples in the middle of cities almost always get earthquaked or torn down for building material.

[Trenz]

That Basilica Cistern is otherworldly fascinating. Absolutely amazing.... As if I needed more reasons to visit Turkey

[OptimusPrinceps_Augustus]

We are going on a Mediterranean cruise in December, spending some time in Istanbul, as well as other ports o call, we shall use your informative videos as a guide in Italy, Greece, and Turkey

[DOLRED]

James Bond movies always seem to show unique locations. So be it for the 1963 movie "From Russia With Love, " #2 in the Bond series. One scene shows the Basilica Cistern with Bond and his advisor cruising through it in a canoe. They were headed for the Russian Embassy I believe. One look convinced me then we were being shown a Roman Ruin, but it made no sense since the columns were surrounded by water!! The movie said nothing about the cistern I recall. Thanks for the video.

[terrenusvitae]

They're wonderfully cool on a hot Istanbul day.

[olorin]

Oh wow, double columns and marble collars. I never knew they did that.

[PatrickPierceBateman]

It's a shame there was never a chance to study the fish Petrus Gyllius reported seeing when the Basilica Cistern was rediscovered. It would be interesting to know how they adapted to living in the cave-like environment of the cistern.

[Sangth]

That second cistern, given how tall it actually was before the modern floor, really must've been impressive to see back in the day.

[treasuredstoneworks]

Absolutely breathtaking history. The use of spolia is particularly interesting. Thanks Told in Stone for your eloquent speech and direct and engaging way of sharing this information!

[peterhutley]

Absolutely wonderful. Constantinople must have been an amazing city at its height.

[hasanabireactionsclips]

So cool this was an awesome video to watch today

[kalrandom]

MORE PLEASE!!!
Really I would love to see more of these sites, maps with travel paths would also be fantastic. So much knowledge had to have been lost to go from structures like that to water supply systems now.

[edcosgrove]

Thank you. Fascinating as ever... They really remind me of the Mezquita in Cordoba.

[annazakhary]

You should write a guide book of ancient Rome’s structures that still exist and can be visited, not only in Rome, but in countries like Turkey, Tunisia, Spain, Croatia, etc.

[josephtrahan]

Amazing awesome. Simply the best! Not to mention interesting

[rodionromanovich]

Oh heck yeah! Always been interested in things underground like cisterns, cryptoporticus', hypogeums etc. Arles, France has good examples of all

[milztempelrowski]

Fishing on a boat in a newly re-discovered cistern of the romans in the 16th century is certainly on my list if I ever build a time machine.