Theodosius Cistern

The Theodosius Cistern (Greek: Κινστέρνα Θεοδοσίου, Turkish: Şerefiye Sarnıcı) is one of many ancient cisterns of Constantinople that lie beneath the city of Istanbul, Turkey. The modern entrance is in Piyer Loti Caddesi, Fatih.

Theodosius Cistern

Theodosius Cistern
Position of the cistern Theodosius Cistern (Turkey)
Location	Istanbul
Coordinates	41.00725°N 28.9726°E / 41.00725; 28.9726

History

Arches of the Theodosius Cistern

It was built by Roman Emperor Theodosius II between 428 and 443 to store water supplied by the Valens Aqueduct. The Aqueduct of Valens was redistributed by Theodosius from its original supply to the Nymphaeum, the Baths of Zeuxippus and the Great Palace of Constantinople. This redistribution led to the construction of the Theodosius Cistern.

The area is about 45 by 25 metres (148 by 82 ft) and the roof is supported by 32 marble columns about 9 metres (30 ft) high.

Yet sometime around the late 18th or early 19th century its existence was completely forgotten after a large private estate was built on the site, and it lay hidden for many years.

Like the Basilica Cistern and the Binbirdirek Cistern, it is once again open to the public, having been under restoration for eight years as of April 2018.

See also

• List of Roman cisterns

Further reading

• Crow, J. (2015). "The Water Supply of Byzantine Constantinople". History of Istanbul. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
• Mango, Cyril (1995). "The Water Supply of Constantinople". In Mango, Cyril; Dagron, Gilbert (eds.). Constantinople and its Hinterland. Aldershot, Hampshire, UK: Ashgate Publishing. pp. 9–18. ISBN 9781315259567.
• Ward, K. A.; Crapper, M.; Altuğ, K; Crow, J. (2017). "The Byzantine Cisterns of Constantinople" (PDF). Water Supply. 17 (6). London: IWA Publishing: 1499–1506. doi:10.2166/ws.2017.053.
• Installing a Cistern that is Easy in Modern Time Retrieved August 29, 2022.