After some lunch, sleep and rest, we feel recharged to conquer Istanbul again. The Yerebatan Cisterine is on this afternoons programme. It is a 1500 years old cistern with a 80.000 ton water storage. It once was the source for the emperors. Now, the 336 columns in a wet, underground space remain. It’s crowded, but still feels mysterious with the different colours of light illuminating the hundreds of pillars, and the water reflecting the space as the thousands of coins glitter from below. Some pillars have beautiful stone work. Via a bridge you walk through the space.
It’s 16:00 when we’re finished, and to save some energy for the coming eight weeks, we decide to call it a day, enjoy dinner in a restaurant (with delicious roasted vegetables, hummus and çorba) and bring the children to bed at 18:30. Cleo falls a sleep straight away, Zeno needs the darkness that only arrives at 20.
Tim has a bonus programme this holiday (or actually every holiday since we have children), and he goes back to the city to photograph the second golden hour of the day. He also visits the little Hagia Sophia, and walks along the Bosphorus where he sees many dolphins jumping from the water.
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