When the supply problems of the 260 km long aqueduct that supplied the city began to emerge, the water was stored in these tanks. In addition, some wealthy nobles, under their houses, had their own private cisterns. And under the churches too.

Usually the tanks were built on a square or rectangular floor, according to the Roman construction technique. The floors were covered with bricks and blocks of stones or bricks were used for the walls. To access below were built some stone stairs attached to one of the walls. And so that the water did not infiltrate, the lower parts of the walls were covered with a special Corasan mortar.

basilica cisterna

TECHNIQUE