The cistern is located in the southeast of the mosque, approximately 5,40 meters from the mosque's mihrab wall, almost parallel to the mosque and buried approximately 1,50 meters under the ground. The gross seating area of ​​the structure (including the walls) is 107,79 m². Its height is h=4,30 meters from the floor level to the ceiling, and the wall thickness varies between 90 and 100 cm in places. Based on the features of the plan scheme, it can be said that the cistern is a XNUMXth-XNUMXth century structure. It is thought that it was most probably built as the infrastructure of the church above it (which does not exist today) and that it was used as a cistern after the church was demolished. The plan scheme of the cistern resembles a small church with its narthex, apse and colonnaded central section.
It resembles. The dimensions of the 4 marble columns used as carriers in the middle section are all different from each other and it is thought that they were used as spolia material. The base of one of the columns was used as a column capital in reverse here. None of the tensioners that connect the column capitals and which we think are wooden are in place today. It has a top cover formed by brick vaults and arches with Khorasan mortar and has survived to the present day in very good condition.

Today, the cistern is entered through two control/entry covers prepared with a marble well collar. In addition, the cistern has a ventilation shaft/hole, which is closed today. Again, the terracotta pipes that brought water to the cistern and the lead pipes used for evacuation/cleaning when necessary are still in place.

Source: Koca Mustafa Pasha Complex and Restoration Works (2015-2019) – General Directorate of Foundations

✶ Media