This cistern lay in the eleventh region of Constantinople, at the eastern end of the valley separating the fourth and the fifth hill of the city.

[1] The water reservoir has been tentatively identified with the covered cistern located in the north area of Fatih (the historic peninsula) near the Sivasi Tekkesi Mosque, in front of the southern end of the çukurbostan ("garden pit" in Turkish) of Sultan Selim,[2] now identified with the cistern of Aspar.

[5] Unused after the Ottoman conquest of the city, the dry cistern was used by weavers until the beginning of the twentieth century but was then abandoned.

Its roof is supported by four rows of seven marble or granite columns, which bear 40 domes 8.50 metres (27.9 ft) above the ground.

The columns have capitals of Corinthian order, surmounted with transoms carved with leaves of acanthus or bearing the symbol of the cross.