Name: Basilica Cistern
Address: Alemdar Mh., Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34410 Fatih/Ä°stanbul, Turkey, TR
Telephone: +90 212 522 12 59

Basilica Cistern is a museum, located at Alemdar Mh., Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34410 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey. They can be contacted via phone at +90 212 522 12 59, visit their website yerebatansarnici.com for more detailed information.

Location :

Alemdar Mh., Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34410 Fatih/İstanbul

Contacts :

Added by Jopie, at 14 November 2016

Monday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

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John Ashworth

18 April 2018

The queue to enter was very short although hundreds of local school children were all piling in!
The cistern was much larger than I'd expected and much more impressive, especially considering it was built 1500 years ago.
Most of the water seemed to have been drained at the moment but it was still very impressive with the lights at the bottom of the pillars.
Great value at 10 TL each.
Amir Shehzad

15 April 2018

Huge underground Roman water covering 9,800 sq. meters, capable of holding 80,000 cubic of water. The ceiling is supported by a forest of 336 marble columns, each 9 metres high, arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns each spaced 5 metres apart.
In short, a giant water tank built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian.
Clayton Gallema

13 April 2018

Very historic place! This is where they gather their water at their time. Inside is a little bit dark. You can also a photo booth inside where you can clothe yourself with their traditional dresses or turkey attires. Inside you can found also the story of Medusa. At the end is a little fishpond. Many students during Easter Celebration.
Brittney Chui

08 April 2018

Really interesting place to visit. Once a place to store the cities water, now houses art installations as well. It is quite dimly lit and cool as it is underground. This all adds to the atmosphere and mystique of the place. Don't miss the Medusa heads and sneak a peak at the fish in the ponds nearby as well.
Tamas Turi

07 April 2018

One of my favorite sights in Istanbul. If there are not too many tourists it has a magical atmosphere. The music, the lighting. And so many different columns. Brought together form the whole region approx 1,500 year ago. Amazing. Thai place breaths history. Thousands of years.
Awais Bhatti

24 November 2017

When undergoing restoration it should state upfront and discount the ticket.
This was something I was really excited about, having been depicted so beautifully in pictures and media. However the water was drained totally, which is the main thing which generates the dramatic beautiful reflections and the red color. There is special water brought for this cistern.
More than half of it was closed off for restoration work also.
Rémi Romac

23 November 2017

Impressive underground structure that was first used as a basilica by the emperors in the 6th century. It is underground and mainly made of marble and stone, and was used to store water for the surroundings. Another building worth visiting if you are in Istanbul. Don't miss it and if you go watch out of the medusa heads.
Xiobit Yong Zizunj

21 November 2017

Basilica Cistern is one of the place which is located in walking distance of Sultanahmet Square. It has a historical importance and value. This used to be Roman underground water storage and has huge pillars to support weight. There is 2 Medusa heads and that is all the highlight of the place.

There is a photo studio where you can dress like sultan or princess but there any many other studios around Istanbul who does exacltly same.
Heiko Schmidt

03 November 2017

Since having seen photos when i was a child, i always dreamt of visiting. I wasn't disappointed. The atmosphere is amazing.
If you are up to take an overpriced photo in Turkish outfit as a souvenir you can as well do that. This is however not my go.
Go and enjoy what generations before is were capable to pull off.
Connolly K

20 September 2017

Incredible! So mind blowing to walk below the streets of Turkey. The history and genius behind the construction of the cistern is what makes this place truly a site to behold!
Ricardo Mota

15 September 2017

It should be great, and it must be great, but the (re)construction works haven't allowed us to fully appreciate the space. I felt that a big portion of the cistern was closed for visitors, and that besides a small area where they've maintained the fishes, the floor space was without water
A big disappointment and I wish they've told us in advance (through the website or even at the ticket office) that it was like that.
If one can only experience a part of the visit, there I no reason to pay a full ticket
Laurent Berserker

15 September 2017

In refurbishment for the moment. Only half of this impressive site is open to the visit. And no more water in. Better to wait the end of works.
Yen Ngo

30 August 2017

It's very special, especially if you are a fan of Dan Brown as it was featured on Inferno. Eerie, mystic atmosphere. For me, I'm more interested in the fact that it was the historic underground reservoir for the whole city. Entrance fee is about 20 TL. It's better to buy Turkey museum pass, as it gonna save you a lot
Mohammad El Mir

16 August 2017

Amazing place. It looks from outside a little building but when you enter and get down the stairs, you get to see a beautiful place. Basilica Cistern is one of the rare Byzantine landmarks left in Istanbul. It dates from about 1500 years.
Ólafur Víðir Guðbjargarson

10 February 2017

Sophia Hagia was an amazing sight. Such history, such building. It was very cool to go up to second floor. Unfortunately part of the church was being renovated while I was there. Those are very few photos I took over there.
G L Littleton

22 January 2017

The columns are unbelievable. The workmanship on underground and underwater columns truly remarkable. The ancient engineering practices of the Greeks are impressive. With water becoming a precious commodity in the world today you would think this would be common practice. I'm always amazed with the water collections of ancient civilizations.
Craig Smith

21 January 2017

The workmanship and detail that has gone into this ancient Roman subterranean world is amazing. Definitely worth checking out while in Instanbul.
Sasha Riser-Kositsky

25 November 2016

The columns. The fish. The haunting music they have playing. The fact that it's 1500 years old and amazingly well preserved.

Stunning.
Davo Dw

21 November 2016

I've never experience anything quite like this.
Submerge yourself into an ancient roman, subterranean world which has definitely been the inspiration for magical, gaming maps from Zelda or Final Fantasy. It's incredible and the fish swimming around in the shallow water adds another dimension of mysticism. A great way to escape the heat of Istanbul's sun and commotion of traffic