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Yerebatan Sarnıcı, also known as the Basilica Cistern, is a large underground cistern located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built in the 6th century during the Byzantine Empire by Emperor Justinian I to provide a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople.
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The Yerebatan Sarnıcı is a spiritually significant location rich in history and symbolism. It was featured in pop culture works like Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Dan Brown's Inferno. Closed in 2017 for restoration, it reopened in 2022, and we helped with the opening ceremony alongside DECOL STUDIO.


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Endless
Corridors
Through
the Centuries
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The cistern covers an area of 9,800 square meters and can hold up to 80,000 cubic meters of water. It is supported by 336 columns, most of which are recycled from earlier buildings and have unique carvings and designs.The cistern was forgotten for centuries until it was rediscovered by the European traveler Petrus Gyllius in the 16th century. Since then, it has undergone several restorations and renovations and has been opened to the public as a popular tourist attraction.

For the content segment of our show, we've developed a concept that explores depth of space and utilizes columns as a unique visual element. Throughout the show, these columns came to life and showcase key symbols of Istanbul's history and its most iconic columns.

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DIVING INTO
THE HISTORY.
AUDIO-VISUAL
IMMERSIVE
SHOW

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DECOL studio came to us with a 20-minute show for the opening ceremony of the restored location and its tourist show program. The show needed to combine laser-show, 3D mapping, and audio components, and all of the elements needed to be perfectly synchronized.

For example, there was a moment in the show when it looked like water was filling up cisterns. This required careful coordination of the content on the 3D mapping part and the lasers choreography.
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Working with
talismans of the
ISTANBUL

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The cistern covers an area of 9,800 square meters and can hold up to 80,000 cubic meters of water. It is supported by 336 columns, most of which are recycled from earlier buildings and have unique carvings and designs.The cistern was forgotten for centuries until it was rediscovered by the European traveler Petrus Gyllius in the 16th century. Since then, it has undergone several restorations and renovations and has been opened to the public as a popular tourist attraction.

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We have taken all this and combines it with the city's columns as a basis for the content part of our project. We have worked with a depth of the surface, bringing to content detailed and unique existing city columns, such as the Column of Constantine and Snake column, as all these columns have an important spiritual sense for the city and its people.

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CONTENT
STORY LINE

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The Hagia Sophia is one of Istanbul's most iconic buildings. Constructed approximately 1,500 years ago as a Christian church, the Hagia Sophia has been a symbol of the city for centuries, standing as a beacon for both Orthodox Christians and Muslims.

The building's importance has changed over time to reflect the prevailing culture in Istanbul, which is located on both sides of the Bosporus Strait connecting Europe and Asia. The second part of the content directly illustrating the myth  about the Argo ship and discovery of Turkey lands.

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HISTORICAL
ENGINEER
RESEARCH.
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Aqueducts
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We had a special consultant on the architectural construction of the aqueducts to present them correctly in our content. We investigated in detailed the water path in ancient times and reflected this in our storyline.

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MODELING.
MEDUSA AND
SHAHMARAN

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In Basilica, there is a central symbol - The Head of Medusa. It was embroidered on the sword hilts by the Byzantines and placed upside down on the column bases. In the same time, we find some legend about the great love of Şahmeran, a half-snake half-human woman, with Tahmasp, which was killed by Sultans servants. According to some rumours, Basilica had sarcophagus of the Şahmeran. We have combined this 2 powerful prototypes in one energy and reflected in the final scene of the show.

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DEVELOPMENT
OF THE
CHARECTERS

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CREDITS

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Artwork Commission:   IBB Heritage
Concept: DECOL Studio and Mahir Polat
Artist: DECOL Studio
Show Scenario: Nebi Cihan Çankaya (DECOL)
Light and Laser Choreography: DECOL Studio
Creative Technologist : Burak Dirgen
Design & Director : DECOL Studio
Producer : DECOL Studio & FND Media
Design and Motion Graphic Support: Naos Studio
Sound Design and Music: Tilde Studio
Musical Director and Intro Sound Design: Alican Okan
Musical Composition “ Sirens & Argos Ship”
Scene: Erdem Tunalı
Vocals Composition and Vocal: Tuğçe Şenoğul
Story Board Artist: Emre Erdur
Display Technologies: Visio - Vox
Event Technology Support: Phantom
Event EngineeringS and ound Engineer: Sergen Tertemiz
Documentation Video : Hakan Sarı
Video Assistant: Doğanay Küçükaltan

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