Istanbul Cistern

could there be anything worse than a gigantic dark underground pool of water with huge carp swimming around in it? How about one with two mysterious Medusa heads set as the base for Corinthian Columns in a forgotten back crevice.

Welcome to the Cistern of Istanbul. Dug out around 500 AD this pool used to serve as a freshwater reserve during the Height of the Byzantium Empire. Today it stands as an extremely well preserved engineering and plumbing wonder.

FUN FACT: There was a scene shot here in the movie, "From Russia with Love".