Istanbul's Roman era basements...

[Condottiero Magno]

Beneath Istanbul, Archaeologists Explore An Ancient City's Byzantine Basements

Istanbul's Byzantine basement surfeit survives in part thanks to a 1980s cultural heritage code that allows people who find something ancient on their property to keep it, without worrying that the government will seize it.

"Thanks to this new law, a lot of historical things were protected by the locals in Istanbul," Ozgumus says. "Before, they were destroying it."

For some, the Roman ruins have attracted tourists and been a boon. The owner of one carpet shop, finding a cistern underneath it, converted the site into a small museum devoted to Constantinople's ancient Hippodrome. Another built his shop's foundation around a fallen column simply because it was too heavy to move.

Others still fear losing their property or having renovations delayed by historical surveys. Sometimes construction can be held up because of significant archeological finds. So they keep their property's ancient sites hidden, Ozgumus says.