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Medusa head in Istanbul's Cistern

At the base of two of the 336 columns in the cistern are two heads of Medusa. One is upside down and the other is sideways. Why they were placed that way is unknown. The cistern, located 500 feet of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

Filename
Medusa head in Istanbul's Cistern (3171113090249).tif
Copyright
© David Coleman
Image Size
4288x2848 / 69.9MB
Contained in galleries
At the base of two of the 336 columns in the cistern are two heads of Medusa. One is upside down and the other is sideways. Why they were placed that way is unknown. The cistern, located 500 feet of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.