Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern, filled with crystal statues

A unique exhibition opened in early August in Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern has filled this impressive 1,500-year-old underground monument, built during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, with crystal statues.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Gates of the Underworld‘ (Yeraltının Kapıları, in Turkish) is the work of contemporary Czech sculptors Vlastimil Beránek and Jaroslav Prošek, and includes a total of 22 mostly crystal statues. Under the theme “Touching Space with Transition and Reflection“, the exhibition has been jointly organised by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic, according to Turkish press reports.

Curated by Mahir Polat – Secretary General of the Istanbul City Council – and Miroslav Kroupa, it is the largest international exhibition of crystal sculptures organised in Istanbul, and is inspired by themes such as the underground world, the perception of reality, mythology, reflections and transformation, fusing the shapes and crystal of the sculptures with the stone, water and light of the cistern. The organisers expect it to be visited by the thousands of tourists who come every day to visit this historic site located underground in Sultanahmet.

The Istanbul Basilica Cistern was built in the 6th century by the Roman Emperor Justinian I as a water reservoir for the city of Constantinople. With a surface area of 10,000 square metres and a capacity of 80,000 tons of water, the structure is supported by 336 columns, most of them brought from buildings and temples throughout the empire, including the two famous medusa-head bases.

The Basilica Cistern was in use until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 at the hands of the Ottomans, falling into oblivion until it was rediscovered in the mid-16th century. The exhibition of crystal sculptures “Gates of the Underworld” can be visited until 30 November.

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