Basilica Cistern

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/basilica-cistern

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Basilica Cistern built?6th century AD (reign of Justinian I)
2. What is the location?Istanbul, Turkey, on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu
3. What is the builder?Byzantine Emperor Justinian I
4. What is the Basilica Cistern and why was it built?It is a huge underground water tank built by Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century to keep water for the city of Constantinople.
5. How big is the Basilica Cistern and how much water could it hold?It measures about 140 by 70 meters and could store up to one million liters of water.

Byzantine Empire: The eastern continuation of the Roman Empire, centered in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), flourishing from the 4th to the 15th century.
Spolia: Architectural elements, such as columns or carvings, taken from older buildings and reused in new constructions.
Hydraulics: The branch of science and engineering concerned with the motion of liquids and the forces and conditions governing them.
Medusa: A mythical Gorgon from ancient Greek mythology, often depicted with living venomous snakes in place of hair.