Fildamı Sarnıcı | |
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  Cistern of the Hebdomon Shown within Istanbul | |
| Location | Bakırköy,Istanbul, Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Marmara Region |
| Coordinates | 40°59′35″N28°53′10″E / 40.99306°N 28.88611°E /40.99306; 28.88611 |
| Type | Cistern |
| History | |
| Periods | Byzantine Empire |
TheCistern of the Hebdomon (Greek:κινστέρνη τοῦ Ἕβδομου), known inTurkish asFildamı Sarnıcı ("Cistern of the elephant's stable"),[1] is aByzantine open sky water reservoir built in the quarter of theHebdomon (today'sBakırköy), an outskirt ofConstantinople.[2]
The cistern is located inIstanbul, in the district ofBakırköy, in themahalle ofOsmaniye, betweenFildamı Arkası andÇoban çeşme Sokak, to the northwest of theVeli Efendi horse race track. Topographically, it lies about 2 km west of theGolden Gate of theWalls of Constantinople, in the western part of a small valley – now completely built up – which runs southwards to theMarmara sea.[2]
The date of construction of this cistern, which lay in the outskirts of the Hebdomon (Greek:Ἕβδομον, "the Seventh", so called because of its location sevenRoman miles from theMilion, the mile-marker monument of Constantinople),[3] is uncertain, but can be placed from the fifth-sixth centuries to the eighth century.[1][2][4] The size of the bricks suggests as apost quem date for its edification the end of Justinian I's reign (ruled 527–65), while the absence of brick stamps is typical of constructions erected after the end of the sixth century.[4] Its function was certainly to supply water to the quarter's two imperial palaces bearing the name ofMagnaura, erected by EmperorValens (r. 364–78), and ofJucundianae, (also namedSecundianae) built by Justinian I. Both palaces lay near theMarmara seashore,[5] where nowadays theAtaköy Marina lies. The cistern was also used to supply water to the troops of theThracian army using the nearbyField of Mars, namedKampos tou Tribounaliou (Greek:Κάμπος τοῦ τριβουναλίου), inLatinCampus Tribunalis. TheCampus, where severalEmperors were elected throughacclamation by the army,[5] lay in the valley ofVeli Efendi, where now Istanbul's horse race track is placed.[6]
After theFall of Constantinople in 1453, the empty reservoir was used by theOttomans as a stable for theSultan's elephants, whence its Turkish namesFilhane orFildamı, meaning house or repair of the elephants.[1][2][7] Afterwards, it was used as vegetable garden, becoming one of Istanbul's fourÇukurbostan ("hollow garden") still extant,[1] a use that ceased in 1996, when the cistern was acquired by the state and transformed into a concert arena for pop music with a capacity of 12,000 spectators.[8] By 2003, it had become clear that the vibrations of the music were damaging the walls and disturbing the horses in the nearby race track, and the concerts ceased.[8] Since then, the structure – administered by thebelediye of Bakırköy – has been sporadically used to host meetings.[8]
The cistern has a rectangular plan with sides 127 metres (417 ft) long and 76 metres (249 ft) wide, and covers an area of about 9,600 square metres (103,000 sq ft).[1][2][7] It is slightly larger than theBasilica Cistern, and is the smallest among the four open-air cistern of Constantinople.[4] Its average depth is about 11 metres (36 ft) on the inner side, but much less on the outer side, since the cistern, built above ground like all the open-air reservoirs of Constantinople, "sank" in the earth with time, as the level of the soil rose.[1] The reservoir could contain about 0.105 million cubic metres (28 million US gallons) of water. Its walls, 4.10 metres (13.5 ft) thick in the northern and southern sides and 7.00 metres (22.97 ft) thick in the eastern and western sides, are still in place.[1] They were built using theRoman construction techniqueopus listatum, by alternating courses ofbricks and of stone in a ratio of five to two,[7] except near the top, where it is five to four (or five)).[1][7] The same pattern was also used to build the cisternsof Aetius,of Aspar andof Mocius inside thewalled city of Costantinople. The outer western wall is buried in the hill, while the inner western wall and the outer eastern wall are reinforced with a series of nineteen semicircular projectingniches which create twobuttresses, necessary to withstand the weight of the hill.[1][4] Two stairways, today partially destroyed, and used to enter the mains, are built by the north and south side.[1] Another interesting feature of the cistern is itswater tower (Latin:Castellum aquae), built on the outer side of the south-western corner. This is a water tank used to stabilize thehydraulic pressure of an aqueduct by releasing water when its level drops beyond a specific value.[4] The tower has a double shell structure, with aspiral staircase in the centre, separated from the outside by a casing containing the water flowing from an inflow placed at the bottom of the tower.[4] Several outflow channels distributed the reservoir water in different directions.[4] It is unknown whether the cistern, which lies at a low altitude, was supplied with water coming from the nearby springs, and whether this was sufficient to fill it, or whether the water came from an artificial channel from the Thracian hinterland.[4]
In the same small valley where the cistern lies, and to its west, there are three smaller elliptic open cisterns, aligned from north to south.[9] The central one is destroyed, while the other two, still extant, are namedDomuzdamı ("house of the pigs"), since they were used as stables for animals.[9]
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