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  3. Basilica Cistern
A cavernous subterranean chamber with numerous stone columns, arched brick ceilings, and dim, warm lighting reflecting on water.
4.2 (470 reviews)

Basilica Cistern Tickets

Explore a 6th-century chamber built to hold 80,000 cubic meters of water

Check availability

10 options • from $44.90

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Basilica Cistern reviews

4.2
470 verified customer reviews
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3 reviews
I
Ioannis,  Greece Greece
19 Feb 2026
Average
Basilica Cistern is absolutely magnificent but the audio guide is not working properly. Because the monument is underground, you quickly loose the internet and the audio guide stop working. This...
Basilica Cistern is absolutely magnificent but the audio guide is not working properly. Because the monument is underground, you quickly loose the internet and the audio guide stop working. This situation happened to all of us (4 persons)
Basilica Cistern Fast Track Ticket and Audio Guide
S
Scott,  Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
25 Feb 2026
Excellent
If you are new to Istanbul you need to see the Basicilia Cistern, blew me away! Different to anything I had seen. It can get busy so pick your time of day and of course skip the line makes it...
If you are new to Istanbul you need to see the Basicilia Cistern, blew me away! Different to anything I had seen. It can get busy so pick your time of day and of course skip the line makes it faster. I went around 1pm and it was relatively quiet. You only really need 30-60 mins to see it so good for an in-between activity.
Basilica Cistern: Skip The Line Ticket
D
David,  United States United States
14 Sep 2025
Excellent
Amazing mix of wonder lost and wonder present. The audio guide and fast track ticket both make the experience better.
Basilica Cistern Fast Track Ticket and Audio Guide

About: Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is a chamber built in the 6th century, under the Emperor Justinan I, to hold 80,000 cubic meters of water. It is located under the streets of Istanbul, supported by arches and 336 marble columns. This masterpiece of architecture is probably the most famous of the hundreds cistern built in Istanbul. This Cathedral size cistern now hold only a fraction of the water that carried during its history and it has been re open to the public after carful renovation works. The ceiling is supported by impressive 336 marble columns, each 9 metres (30 ft) high, arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns each . Intresting thing is that the majority of the columns in the cistern appear to have been recycled from the ruins of older buildings. One of the most famous of this "recycled" piece is probably the "head of the Medusa" raising from the water tank.

Basilica Cistern

Sunday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Monday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Tuesday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Wednesday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Thursday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Friday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Saturday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Basilica Cistern
Alemdar Mh., Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34410, Istanbul
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