Did A Sultan Find Medusa’s Sarcophagus In The Basilica Cistern?
November 22, 2022 by SkyWatch Editor
Nestled beneath the winding streets of Istanbul, just 490 feet (149 meters) from the Hagia Sophia, lies an ancient cistern that may have been the final resting place of Medusa! The Basilica Cistern, also known as the Yerebatan Cistern, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that sit under the city of Istanbul, designed to catch and hold rainwater. It is one of the most famous and impressive cisterns, not only in Turkey, but in the entire world. But could it really contain the sarcophagus of the Greek monster Medusa? Sultan Abdul Hamid II asked for research to be done on the topic, and decided to have the sarcophagus removed after he received the results. The sarcophagus was supposedly found in one of the corridors of the Basilica Cistern. According to legend, when the sarcophagus was opened up, the mummy of a terrifying creature was uncovered. It had a human head but its entire body curved like a giant snake. Some have speculated that the creature wasn’t Medusa but was the mythical creature Shahmeran. Shahmeran originated in Iran, but is a popular mythological creature in Turkey. Much like Medusa, she is part human, part snake. Some have even speculated that Medusa and Shahmeran are actually the same woman… (READ MORE)