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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Sivasi Tekke Mescidi Sarnici |
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For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
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Type:
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Cistern |
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Plan Type:
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Year of Costruction:
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Phase:
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Altitude:
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50 |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Istanbul |
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District:
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Fatih |
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Village:
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Seyhresmi Mah. |
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| There is a 5th century cistern under the Sivasi Tekke Masjid on the corner of the Yavuz Selim Avenue and the Ali Naki Street near the southeast corner of the Aspar cistern in the Seyh Resmi Quarter of Fatih District of Istanbul [Müller-Wiener 2001: pl. D 4/30]. J. Freely and A.S. Çakmak surveyed the cistern as the the Pulkheria Cistern [Freely-Çakmak 2004:49]. The cistern lies in northeast-southwest direction. The cistern's façade is a restored wall pierced by a door. It was first surveyed and delineated by P. Forschheimer and I. Strzygowski by the late 19th century. The cistern rises above the ground level. It has a rectangular plan with internal dimensions of 29.1x18.7 m. The vaulted roofing is supported by 4 colonnades of seven columns, which consists of a total of 28 columns. The corners of the cistern were rounded by beveling. The walls above the level of the capital were pierced by 1.25-1.45 m wide window openings. On the southwestern wall are an entrance and a staircase for descending down. The walls of the cistern are 2.8 m thick up to the level of the windows. The inner surface of the walls are plastered by waterproof mortar to the level of arches. The height of the marble and granite columns is 5 m with a diameter ranging from 50 to 55 cm. One of the columns bear a 50 cm long cross in relief. The Corinthian capitals are overtopped by impost capitals. It is known that the cistern was used by the Armenian spinners in the late 19th century [Forschheimer-Strzygowski 1893:63, pic. 9/1-6]. |
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| Destruction: The cistern is currently being used as a restaurant named Sultan Cistern. The cistern is accessed by two steel stairways from both sides in the northeast direction. The floor was covered with plank. The walls were entirely plastered. Electrical cabling was installed for lighting fixtures all around inside the cistern, and for that reason steel construction material was used. Large chimney holes were made on some of the vaults. The windows were surrounded by wooden frames. The cistern is accessible in the southeast direction. There is an area used as a kitchen just below northeast entrance. The northeast wall can not be seen because the kitchen area was sealed with planks. This wooden section contains two storeys, the lower storey is used as kitchen and the upper as office. There are masonry signs on the column pedestals. Parts of the capitals were painted in white[TAYEx 07.09.2008]. |
