Powered by  Tiqets Tiqets
Help
  1. Turkey
  2. Istanbul
  3. Basilica Cistern
A cavernous subterranean chamber with numerous stone columns, arched brick ceilings, and dim, warm lighting reflecting on water.
4.2 (514 reviews)

Basilica Cistern Tickets

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

Check availability

10 options • from $46.87

Hand-picked combinations

Combine Basilica Cistern with other Istanbul favorites. Some things are better together.

Ratings & reviews

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

Thursday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Friday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
Saturday
09:00:00 - 22:00:00
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
Basilica Cistern
Alemdar Mh., Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34410, Istanbul
Open in Maps

Basilica Cistern customers also bought

Historic palace complex with towers and domes surrounded by lush greenery, set near a river with a cityscape in the background.
  • Istanbul

Topkapı Palace Museum

Learn about Turkish history in ornate rooms and explore Ottoman artifacts
3.6 (530)
From
$70.31
An ancient mosque with multiple minarets at sunset, situated in a cityscape with residential buildings and hills in the background.
  • Istanbul

Hagia Sophia

See this world-famous mosque in the middle of Istanbul
4 (555)
From
$33.98
Historic palace with ornate facade and arched windows reflects in water; seagull in blue sky above, cityscape in background.
  • Istanbul

Dolmabahce Palace

Visit the last Ottoman palace, walk the coast, and see ferries by Beşiktaş
4.3 (76)
From
$50.39
Historic mosque with multiple domes and tall minarets surrounded by greenery under a clear blue sky.
  • Istanbul

The Blue Mosque

Visit the most important mosque in Istanbul with blue-tiled interiors
4.1 (118)
From
$17.58

Top things to do in Istanbul

Explore Istanbul

Cities in Turkey

Explore Turkey