Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

The Basilica Cistern, also known as ‘Yerebatan Cistern’ or Sunken Cistern, is the largest of the several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul, with a holding capacity of 80,000 m3

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Tour and Skip The Line with Guide

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 30.0 minute

$31

Discover the Basilica Cistern beneath the streets of Istanbul with a guided tour. Skip the long queu...

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Guided Tour

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 30.0 minute

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On this 30-minute tour, visit the 4th-century Basilica Cistern and discover the mystery of Medusa he...

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Istanbul: Blue Mosque, Basilica & Hagia Sophia - Combo Tour

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 4.0 hour

$53

See 3 of Istanbul's most famous landmarks with this combination tour. Go inside the iconic Blue Mosq...

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Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Ticket & Audio Guide

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$29

Discover the Basilica Cistern at your own pace with skip-the-line tickets and an audio guide app on ...

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Istanbul: Guided Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, and Basilica Cistern

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 4.0 hour

$107

Discover the Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace, Old City, and the exterior of the Hagia Sophia on a g...

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Istanbul:Small-Group Topkapi and Hagia Sophia Tour

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 4.0 hour

$108

Enjoy a guided tour in the heart of Istanbul's old town, Sultanahmet. Visit the Hagia Sophia, Topkap...

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern & Hagia Sophia Combo Ticket

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 2.0 hour

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Explore Istanbul’s most famous attractions, the Basilica Cistern, and the Old City with its majestic...

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Istanbul: Old City Tour, Bosphorus Cruise, Cable Car & Lunch

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Discover the highlights of Istanbul with a bus tour of the Old City, a Bosphorus cruise, and a cable...

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Entry Ticket & Grand Bazaar Tour

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 20.0 minute

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Explore Istanbul's Basilica Cistern on a guided tour with skip-the-line entry. Lose yourself in the ...

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern Walking Tour with Entry Ticket

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 1.5 hour

$143

Skip the ticket lines and go on a walking tour of the Basilica Cistern, the largest Byzantine cister...

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Basilica Cistern & Topkapi Palace Skip-the-Line Private Tour

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 3.0 hour

$46

Discover the fascinating history and architecture of Istanbul's most iconic landmarks on this combin...

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern & Dolmabahçe Palace Combo Tour

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Explore the Basilica Cistern and Dolmabahçe Palace with combo tickets featuring skip-the-line entry ...

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia

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 4.0 hour

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Explore Istanbul's most wondrous monuments including Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern on this a...

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Basilica Cistern Tour: Discovering Medusa

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 30.0 minute

$42

Master on subject with facts and unknowns. Learn the history with great range of analysis. Get ready...

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Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Grand Bazaar

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 3.0 hour

$18

Explore the highlights of Istanbul on this guided walking tour. Visit Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque,...

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Istanbul: Skip-the-Line Basilica Cistern Guided Tour

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 30.0 minute

$30

Join a guided tour in the heart of Istanbul’s old town, Sultanahmet, to see the Basilica Cistern. Ga...

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Best of Basilica Cistern Tour : Skip the Line : Fast Track

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 1.0 hour

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Discover the Basilica Cistern visited by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Impresive Roman empire ...

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Istanbul: Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Combo

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$92

See 3 of Istanbul's most famous landmarks and enjoy guided tours of each. Take advantage of entrance...

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Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

The Basilica Cistern, also known as ‘Yerebatan Cistern’ or Sunken Cistern, is the largest of the several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul, with a holding capacity of 80,000 m3.

The Basilica Cistern, also known as ‘Yerebatan Cistern’ or Sunken Cistern, is the largest of the several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul, with a holding capacity of 80,000 m3. The symmetrical layout and artistic columns holding up vaulted ceilings (from where water occasionally drips) are lit aesthetically, making this underground reservoir one of the top attractions in the city.

Originally constructed below the Stoa Basilica in the 6th century, it held water delivered by a 20 km long aqueduct from the Eğrikapı Water Distribution Center near the Black Sea. The cavernous cistern has 336 marble columns with mostly Corinthian capitals. In the northwest corner of the cistern, the bases of two columns have blocks carved with the visage of Medusa, oriented sideways and inverted to negate the power of the mythical Gorgons' gaze.

Dark and intriguing, the cistern has featured in the James Bond movie ‘From Russia with Love’, Dan Brown’s ‘Inferno’, and the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ video game. Take a tour around and discover the charms of this ancient reservoir.

Hours

Sun

9:00

18:30

Mon

9:00

18:30

Tue

9:00

18:30

Wed

9:00

18:30

Thu

9:00

18:30

Fri

9:00

18:30

Sat

9:00

18:30

About Basilica Cistern

 Alemdar Mh., Şeftali Sokak No:6, Fatih, Türkiye

 +90 212 522 12

 www.yerebatan.com

Basilica Cistern and Nearby Sights on Map

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a 6th century Orthodox patriarchal basilica that was later used as a mosque, and is today a museum

Gülhane Park

This park was royal hunting grounds in the past

Soğukçeşme Street

A car-free downhill cobbled street just behind Hagia Sophia, with renovated (or totally re-built) traditional wooden houses two- or three-storeys tall typical of Ottoman era, leaning against the outer wall of Topkapi Palace grounds/Gülhane Park

Valens Aqueduct

A double-storey Roman one built during the reign of Valens (r

Million

While this partially intact marble pillar dating back to 4th century AD may seem unremarkable, it was the starting point of any distance measured within the empire during the Byzantine era, so it may be nice to think that you are in the centre of where all the roads lead to (or, rather, start from)

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art

Carpets, rugs, calligraphy, pottery

Great Palace Mosaics Museum

Located in Arasta Bazaar, this museum hosts the pavement mosaics of the Byzantine-era Great Palace of Constantinople, which once occupied all the way from Sultanahmet Square, then the Hippodrome, to the coast of the Sea of Marmara

Hagia Irene

Hagia Irene, which you will notice to your left after entering the outer yard of Topkapi Palace, is one of few Byzantine-era cathedrals which was never converted to a mosque (though not used for religious purposes either during the Ottoman period), although access to the interior is not allowed unless you have a ticket to the classical music concerts sometimes taking place inside the building

The Museum of Archeology

A must see! One of the best, including a great collection of Sumerian tablets, pieces of the wall of Babylon and Roman marble statues