Basilica Cistern

Dan Brown's "Inferno", which Larry read last year, contains a vivid chase scene through the Basilica Cistern. We had to check it out! Plus it was very cave like. The underground cistern originally held the water supply for the palace in Istanbul but now contains only about a foot of water. It was mostly too dark for pictures but we got some shots of the columns of Medusa which are positioned upside down.
After our morning sightseeing, we were warmly welcomed to lunch by the proprietor of The Han Restaurant and enjoyed Gozleme prepared by a older woman in the window of the cafe. As we were to experience throughout Istanbul, the Turkish hospitality included a flavorful tea, on the house.Read more