I walked past it many times and couldn't figure out what it was. The map didn't say anything. Thanks to the gypity chat))) This small round white building with a domed roof is an estarine cistern (reservoir) in Torba (Bodrum). Such cisterns were built in the Ottoman and earlier periods to collect and store rainwater. In the Bodrum region, where the climate is arid and fresh water has always been scarce, such facilities have played a very important role. How they work The shape is most often round or polygonal, with a domed roof (as in the photo). This shape helped the water to evaporate less and kept cool inside. The material was stone and lime mortar, and the walls were often covered with a waterproof mixture so that water would not escape into the ground. The entrance is a small door or hole for a bucket. Collecting water – grooves were made on the roof and nearby so that rainwater drained inside History The first cisterns in Asia Minor were built in ancient times (the Greeks and Romans). Later, in the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, the tradition continued: in almost every settlement you can find at least one cistern. There are especially many of them in Bodrum — dozens of similar structures have been preserved here, because the region has lived for a long time without centralized water supply. Many old cisterns in Bodrum are recognized as historical monuments. Some of them are empty, some have been restored as elements of cultural heritage. They have become a kind of symbol of the traditional way of life in the region. Interesting fact: there is even a saying in Bodrum, "water is more expensive than gold," and the old cisterns remind us how much each drop was valued.

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