Idunno and the Medusas of the Basilica Cistern

The story

Idunno is carefree and fun, but he answers almost everything with "I dunno" or by holding up his question mark sign. On a full-moon night, he and Bookatashi explore a haunted house, and when Idunno knocks on the door, a gust of wind sweeps him inside.

He finds himself in a huge underground hall of columns and water beneath Istanbul, Turkey. A silver carp fish named Sazan warns him about the two Medusa heads trapped at the bottom of the columns.

The real place: Basilica Cistern

Three things to tell your kid after the story.

1. 1The Basilica Cistern is a giant underground water tank built about 1,500 years ago to store water for the city then called Constantinople.
2. 2Its roof is held up by 336 stone columns, just like Sazan says.
3. 3Two of the columns stand on carved Medusa heads, one turned on its side and one upside down, and fish still swim in the water.

Next stop

EP 96 · Bhutan

Bookatashi

Always has her nose in a book.

EP 97 · Golubac, Serbia

Partypooper

Ruins every surprise.