Seferikoz Cistern
Seferikoz Cistern is a Middle Byzantine cistern dating to around the 11th century.
Seferikoz Cistern is a Middle Byzantine cistern by the Golden Horn. It is located on Seferikoz Street (formerly Sivrikoz Street) around 60 m southwest of Cibali Gate. It is on the grounds of the 19th-century Cibali Tobacco Factory, which now functions as the main campus of Kadir Has University.
The cistern has a rectangular plan measuring 21.85 x 27.10 m. The cistern has 48 vaulted bays that are supported by 20 columns and 15 cross-shaped piers. Some of the columns were later enclosed in brick to reinforce the structure. The columns, which have different diameters, are around 2.60 m tall. Various types of Late Antique spolia include impost capitals, Ionic impost capitals, plain trapezoidal impost capitals, and an impost panel capital. While the cistern is filled with soil, excavations in the southeast corner of the cistern uncovered the brick floor, which is around 2.95 m below the springing of the arches.
It has brick and ashlar masonry; recessed brick masonry can also be seen in the arches between the vaults. The walls are covered with hydraulic plaster. Its corners are beveled, which strengthened the structure from the internal water pressure. A staircase near the northwest corner was perhaps the original entrance. A ramp, which is accessible from the basement of the adjacent building of Block C, was added later near the southeast corner.
A special thanks to Dr. Kerim Altuğ for help writing the text
Vaults and recessed brick masonry of the arches
Ionic Impost Capital
Ionic Impost Capital with Chrismon Medallion
Impost Panel Capital
Seferikoz Cistern is partially under Seferikoz Street (formerly Sivrikoz Street). It used to be accessible from the building next to Seferikoz Mosque.
Cibali Gate
Seferikoz Cistern, located in the district of Cibali, is located a short distance southwest of Cibali Gate. According to tradition, the name Cibali comes from the commander Cebe Ali Bey, who entered Constantinople around this area during the Ottoman conquest in 1453. The Byzantine name of Cibali Gate is unknown.
Cibali Tobacco Factory (now Kadir Has University) from the Golden Horn
Cibali Tobacco Factory was built by the Golden Horn sea walls in 1884. Seferikoz Cistern functioned as a depot for storage of the factory.
Cibali Tobacco Factory
Pervititch. Plan d’assurances. Aya-Kapu. Gül-Camii. Cibali (1928)
From Salt Research

Plan by Alper
Sources
Altuğ, K. İstanbul'da Bizans Dönemi Sarnıçlarının Mimari Özellikleri ve Kentin Tarihsel Topografyasındaki Dağılımı
Altuğ, K. “Reconsidering the Use of Spolia in Byzantine Constantinople”
Alper, M. “İstanbul Cibali Yenileme Alanının Kent Morfolojisinin Gelişimi ve Değişimi”
Taşkın, F. “Cibali” (İstanbul Ansiklopedisi)
Resources
Cibali Cistern Photo Album (Byzantine Legacy Flickr)
Former Cibali Tobacco and Cigarette Factory, Istanbul (European Heritage Awards Archive)