Technobird is in Türkiye TECHNOBIRD IS IN TÜRKİYE | Page 18

public because of the underground marble columns. As there used to be basilica in the place
of the cistern, it is also called Basilica Cistern.
The cistercistern is 140m long and 70m wide and covers a rectangular area as a giant
structure. Accessible with 52-step staircase, the Cistern shelters 33y columns, each of which
is 9m high. Erected at 4.80m intervals from one another the columns are composed of 12
rows, each has 28 columns.
Except couple of the edged and grooved columns of the cistern, the majority of them are
shaped as a cylinder. Two Medusa heads are at the northwest edge of the cistern, are the
great work of art from the Roman period. These attract the most attention from the visitors.
As the legend has it is, Medusa is one of three Gorgonas that are female monsters in the
underground world in Greek mythology. The snake-head Medusa, has the power of
gorgonising the ones that happen to look at her.
That monster story makes us thrilled and excited. We want to hear more about that story and
Techno agrees us, of course. So the guide gives us more information about Medusa.
According to a rumour; Medusa is a beautiful girl with black eyes, long hair and attractive
body. She is boasted with these and she is in love with Perseus. Athena, a powerful Greek
Goddess, is in love with Perseus, too. So she is jealous of Medusa and turns her hair into
snakes. Now that she turns everybody looks at her into stone. Then Perseus heads of her
anduse it to defeat his enemies. Medusa sculptures and gravings are used for protection in
great buildings in ancient times. So these columns were built in the cistern.
These are very interesting things for us, we listen them like they are bed-time stories. After
the tour finishes we gather around Techno. We are curious about its ideas about the Cistern.
“What do you think about it?”
“Do you like the trip?”
“Have you ever heard such a story?”
“Say something, please!”
Everybody is talking and asking questions like these to Techno Bird. He listens us quietly
and looks at us a while. Then it says:
“Turkey is a very beautiful country with its history and natural beauties. I see most of them
and am amazed of them. Y ou are very lucky. This country is your legacy and you should
learn and protect it very carefully. This beauty is yours and your sons and daughters and
grandson and granddaughters. You should be very happy to have all of these beauties.”
Then it flies to the sky. We think what it says a bit. It is right and it gives us a very
important lesson, we will never forget.
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