Just beside Ayasofya, in Istanbul, you will find a Roman cistern as old as Ayasofya itself.

This extraordinary building, with its massive stone columns and its lofty brick domes, stands at the head of a row of guesthouse lining the narrow street immediately behind Ayasofya. Built nearly two thousand years ago as a cistern. it was used until recently (1960's and 70's) as a car repair workshop placed over the rubble! But no longer.

The Turkish Touring and Automobile Associon, which converted the old houses in the street into a row of guesthouse, cleaned out the cistern, restored it and transformed in into a "Roman Tavern".

The present floor level was reaches by digging down to a debt of seven meters but investigations have show that the six large, massive, single-piece columns descend three meters below this. The original room has been preserved exactly as it was. The only addition is a fire-place in the ancient style.

During even the hottest days of summer, the cistern remains pleasantly cool, while in the evening it is filled with mysterious light provided by flickering candles. The dim yellow light from the wrought iron candlesticks fill the interior with all shades of history, while the special soup served directly from the fire-place deliht both body and soul.

The Cistern Tavern. Awitness and a record of the great, dramatic synthesis formed in the identity of the city Istanbul which was during three thousand years the capital of three great empires.

A restaurant of the "Republican" period in a "Roman" building at an "Ottoman" street.