Entrance is paid. 80 TL for adult, 30 TL for students. Expect a queue of approximately half an hour.
Basilica Cistern, also known as the Basilica, built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565) in 532, attracts attention with its seemingly countless marble columns rising from the water. The cistern, where 7 thousand slaves were employed during construction, was completed in 38 years. This giant structure, which covers a rectangular area with a length of 140 meters and a width of 70 meters, has the capacity to store approximately 100 thousand tons of water. There are 336 columns inside the cistern, each 9 meters high. 98 of these columns reflect the Corinthian style, and some reflect the Doric style. The two Medusa Heads used as pedestals under two columns (one placed sideways and the other upside down) are masterpieces of Roman Period sculpture art and are the structures that attract the most attention of those who visit the cistern.
Due to their religious beliefs, the Ottoman people preferred flowing water over stagnant water. For this reason, the cistern was used for irrigation for a long time after the conquest of Istanbul and remained idle when the Ottoman Empire started to establish and use its own water facilities. P. Gyllius, of French origin, came to Istanbul, to the palace of Suleiman the Magnificent, in 1544, representing the King of France, François I, in order to collect valuable manuscripts for the library of the Kingdom of France. Gyllius is so fascinated by Istanbul that he says, "All cities in the world are doomed to die, but Istanbul will live as long as people exist."
While wandering around Hagia Sophia, Gyllius hears that people get water from the wells inside their houses and even fish. In fact, Gyllius is interested in ichthyology, the science of fish. Perhaps the subject of “fishing” impressed him and thus he asked: “What is there in this area with water underneath?” He thought and did his research. In the walled courtyard of a large wooden house known to the public, he sees stone steps leading underground. Taking a torch in his hand, he goes down these steps. He encounters a huge cistern below. In the following days, he descends to this cistern again and again and begins to wander on the water in a boat. He takes the measurements of the cistern and identifies the columns. He visited many important historical monuments of Istanbul until 1547, when he stayed in the city, and wrote very important books about the Bosphorus and the monuments he visited. These writings were published by his nephew in 1561-62, after Gyllius' sudden death.
Although it is not known exactly where and for what purpose the Medusa heads used as pedestals under the columns in the cistern were brought, there are some opinions about this:
According to a legend, Medusa is one of the three Gorgona sisters, female monsters of the underworld in Greek mythology. Snake-headed Medusa has the power to turn those who look at her to stone.
According to one view, Gorgona paintings and sculptures were used to protect large buildings and special places at that time. This is why the head of Medusa was placed in the cistern.
According to another rumor, Medusa; She was a girl who was proud of her black eyes, long hair and beautiful body. Medusa loved Zeus' son Perseus. Meanwhile, Athena also loved Perseus and was jealous of Medusa. That's why Athena turned Medusa's hair into snakes. Now everyone Medusa looked at turned into stone. Later, Perseus cut off Medusa's head and had the opportunity to defeat many of his enemies by taking advantage of her power. Based on this, the Head of Medusa was engraved on sword hilts in Byzantium and placed upside down on column bases (to prevent ministers from being cut into stone).
According to another rumor, Medusa looked sideways and turned herself into stone. That's why the sculptor who made the statue here made Medusa in three different positions according to the reflection angles of light.
The Basilica Cistern is one of the largest and best preserved ancient underground reservoirs in Constantinople, which bears some resemblance to the palace complex, located in the historical center of Istanbul in the Sultan Ahmed district opposite the Hagia Sophia.
Here we were greatly surprised at how the entire architecture was preserved. To be honest, I counted all 336 columns, 12 rows of 28 columns, eight meters high. The columns stand at a distance of 4.8 meters from each other. The walls are 4 meters thick and made of refractory bricks and covered with a special waterproofing solution.
There I saw a lot of pennies from different countries, different currencies. This is certainly something. I really liked it and I'm in a hurry to watch the movie starring Tom Hanks - "INFERNO"
The cost of the visit is 15,000 tenge (3,100 rubles; $ 31) if you take it at the checkout.
The queue lasts a maximum of 30 minutes. So go ahead to the Tank💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
One of the largest and best preserved ancient underground reservoirs in Constantinople.
A reserve of drinking water was stored in the Basilica in case of drought or siege of the city, water was delivered through aqueducts and aqueducts.
It was built in 532.
The dimensions of the underground structure are 145 × 65 m .
The vaulted ceiling of the tank is supported by 336 columns (12 rows of 28 columns) 8 meters high.
Most of the columns are taken from ancient temples, so they differ from each other in the grade of marble and the type of processing, some of them consist of one, others of two parts, two columns at the base of the head of the Gorgon Medusa (one of them is upside down, the other is turned on its side, presumably so that no one I was not afraid to turn to stone when I looked into the eyes of this monster).
You feel very small in this majestic underground structure.
Admission in the evening from 19.30 to 23:30 costs 1400 liras. I only accept lira.
The coolest place for me in Istanbul! Impressive! You walk between the columns and the water, catch colorful lights and take pictures, take pictures of these reflections and realities of unreal beauty!
Just "be sure" to visit.
There was a queue in the afternoon, and in the evening we went in freely. The visit does not depend on the weather and daylight - it's still underground. It is always warm, damp and beautiful there.
The acoustics are certainly excellent. We didn't check - there was no concert
The legendary tank with the Gorgon Medusa, the scene of action in the finale of "Inferno", and its penetration into modern culture began back in "From Russia with Love".
It's beautiful, cool, the backlight randomly changes and changes the whole entourage. For October 2024, the entrance costs 1000 lira, I recommend buying tickets online - there was 35 euros just an entrance and 35.9 euros an entrance with an audio guide (there is Russian), which is simply downloaded to the phone (just do it before the descent - there is no network inside). With an electronic ticket, you pass without queuing, and a solid queue stretches behind the usual ones.
We really liked it - a great combination of ancient and modern culture, a lot of impressions, an excellent background for photos, compact in time, and legs do not have time to get tired.
I was in the Basilica cistern 2 times, before and after the reconstruction. For the 2nd time in 2024. November. The price before the reconstruction was quite acceptable 100-150 liras. After the reconstruction, the price was set at 900 lire. There are no discounts for children. 1 adult + 2 children cost a visit of 2700 lire, i.e. about 8500r. Actually walk through the tank for 20 minutes at most. If there were before the reconstruction, then little has changed. Actually, I think it's not worth paying 900 liras. If you haven't been before, of course you need to visit if you are in Istanbul.
A cistern is a cistern. A huge underground reservoir. I definitely recommend you to visit. Take a walk in the cool, look at the different columns, take pictures. Beautiful lighting, several compositions. If the queue is long, don't be afraid. It passes quickly. There are souvenirs at the exit.
The Basilica Cistern is a landmark of Istanbul, which is impossible to pass by. The place, in my opinion, is a must-visit. An underground reservoir, majestic columns, ancient engravings, marble of various grades... It's a complete mystery to me how all this was built back then... A mystical, mysterious place.
I've always wanted to come here. The price is about 1000 liras, if you buy directly at the checkout, through the app the price is 2-3 times lower. The cistern is a monumental structure, but if you don't read the story in advance, or without a guide. then the experience will be disappointing. There are two queues at the entrance: those who buy a ticket on the spot, and those who bought through an agency or an application. Both queues move quickly, but there are a lot of people, so it's better to come on weekdays. Inside, everything is arranged in such a way that it is not possible to step aside
An impressive place to visit in the center of Istanbul is the Basilica Reservoir. In the heat, the top place))) but seriously, without an audio guide, you can go through everything in 5 minutes and not feel all the energy of this historical, full of events and difficulties of its occurrence moments.
An amazing place! It impresses with its architecture, engineering, scale, atmosphere, and grandeur. It's hard to imagine that this ancient underground reservoir, the construction of which began in the 4th century, was built by humans! And it has been preserved in this form ever since!
Great. It's very beautiful and it's nice to be there in the heat. There are long queues for tickets, but you can find a guide who, for a small fee, will hold a queue and tell you everything
A very interesting and impressive place! For all lovers and connoisseurs of history, it is a must-visit! The cistern is a large underground hall with columns. Some of which have an order system and unique ornaments. Plus, the ticket is quite inexpensive.
On the one hand, it is a very cool and atmospheric place, striking in its scope and the miracle of engineering (at the same time in ancient times), but on the other hand it is very expensive (compared to other attractions), since there is nothing else to see in this location except the reservoir itself
An interesting and unusual place, be sure to visit. The queue moves quickly, there is a small inspection at the entrance with a rapiscan. Then enter the cistern and descend down the stairs to the walking paths. The volume and attention to detail in the production of a technical facility is impressive. Inside there is a backlight with different colors and modes, it changes every few minutes, changing the character and mood during inspection. Interesting art objects have been installed between the columns. For some reason, people threw coins into the water, it would be better to give this money to feed the cats)
An amazing atmospheric place! If you think about the year it was built, it's even more impressive. We went in the evening, there were almost no people, you walk through these deserted halls in silence, here and there lights come on and illuminate the figures - it is fascinating.
It's an amazing place. Although the entrance is quite expensive, it's worth it! It is very beautiful and majestic, the atmosphere is addictive and you do not want to leave. It is as if you are immersed in history - with the exception of the addition of several modern sculptures, everything is preserved in the same form as it was a few centuries ago. And they say there are fish swimming in the water, but we haven't seen(
Very expensive! But considering how old she is and how much money she needs to maintain it all, it's probably justified. On a large scale! It goes down and you could go out right away, but there is a fence that will smoothly lead you through a maze through the entire huge room. During the day, we walked in the crowd to the exit, there are more modern installations in the spans. They say that the columns are all different.
The most vivid impressions of Istanbul are the Basilica and Sultanahmet! Definitely worth the money! The audio guide worked properly (unlike the Topcap). Very cool photos are obtained, atmospheric, instagrammed.
A must-visit! The queue is moving fast, after the reconstruction, the entire space is open with modern lighting, which is also changing! I definitely recommend it!
As for us, it is a must-visit place. Majestic columns, ancient engravings, tiles, searches for places from Inferno, columns and heads of medusa. A mysterious and slightly mystical place. You need to make a wish when a drop from the ceiling is dripping on you
An interesting historical place, it was great to listen to the story on the audio guide. You will learn the rest on the spot, I will not repeat the stories here. If you arrive early, there is almost no queue. And so I saw how people were also standing on the street, and it was quite large
The place has an impressive atmosphere, but it will not suit everyone.
It's better to go early, before there are too many people. Or vice versa in the evening.
The price bites, but I'm not sorry at all.
It's a very atmospheric place. I definitely recommend taking a guide. There is a queue for tickets, but it moves quickly. The price is 900 lire per person . There are no children's tickets.
A very beautiful place with its own unique history. There are not many places in Istanbul where the old Byzantine architecture has been preserved.
There are a lot of people in line at the Basilica Cistern, but by appointment you can get through very quickly and conveniently.
Even if you are not a fan of museums and attractions, you should definitely come here.
The ancient reservoir was turned into an art object, while leaving the feeling of an ancient, monumental structure, diluted with relevant works of art.
It's a very unusual atmosphere, I want to stay longer.
We wanted to come in during the day, but there was a very long queue. In the evening, the ticket cost 1400 rubles and there were no people.
Going down, they seemed to be in an underground temple, where opera singing sounded to live music (I should note that because of the echo, the sound was not very good, but the entourage was fascinating). The columns are majestic and diverse, the Gorgon Jellyfish are harmless, modern compositions, light projections - it's all worth seeing for yourself.
A very interesting and tourist place! I like the lighting, the atmosphere, and a large number of tourists are not very inspiring, but this is the cost of such places!
A very interesting ancient antiquity! In search of the remnants of Byzantium in Istanbul, I came across an inconspicuous and most ordinary pavilion, next to which a queue of about 50 people formed (and most of them were local), these people were waiting to be let through to look at the majestic structure, which is more than 1,500 years old, the Basilica Cistern. In the very center of Istanbul, right under Sultanahmet Square, there is a huge underground hall 12 meters high, the arches of which support 336 columns!!! Although the entrance price for the ticket was extremely immodest (1000 TL), it was worth it! The structure is really admirable. I recommend you to visit!
An interesting place, worth a visit. But don't expect much, 20 minutes is enough for the entire inspection with photography. The place itself is historical, built to provide Constantinople with water, if I'm not mistaken, under Justinian, then when the water supply system appeared, it was no longer used for its intended purpose
Very beautiful. The columns are all different. There are a lot of tourists, but you can catch a moment and take a picture. It's impressive how they used to build it. I recommend.
It's an amazing place.
I did not regret any of the 800 lire spent.
I would have come again.
What is special about it: despite the crowds of tourists, it is very calm and meditative, cool. Incredibly beautiful! The interspersing of modern sculpture and the iridescence of light create a very aesthetic installation.
There are friendly staff at the checkout.
delight. This basilica remains one of the vivid memories of Istanbul. worth all your money. an incredibly fascinating place
like from the movie Inferno
A beautiful place used for storing water in the old days. With interesting lighting and design. You can get to the laser show, but there is no accuracy when it is held. The entrance at the time of writing is 600 lira, and according to rumors it is already 800. If you think about price - quality, then it's not so necessary anymore) all the sights in Istanbul have been monetized and, strangely, the prices are biting and they are not going to stop. I recommend to take a look at it once.
The renovated museum.
Fascinating and interesting.
I was impressed that people were able to create such a grandiose structure without having modern technology.
I recommend you to visit Istanbul.
A very atmospheric place if you want to take a short walk through a gloomy dungeon with ancient columns and beautiful lighting. In the far dark corner, next to the inverted heads, do not be lazy to see the statue of the Gorgon Medusa.
A beautiful place, a lot of ancient columns, the only disadvantage is the price, 900 lira is expensive for admission, provided that you spend a maximum of 20 minutes there.
It's beautiful, atmospheric. I recommend you to visit despite the fact that you can visit a similar cistern nearby for free. You will not get as much emotion and pleasure as here.
It is a very beautiful and old place. Beautiful shots are obtained there. It is interesting to look at the different columns (yes, there are columns that differ from others). But I was confused by the fact that the cost was 2 times cheaper on the Internet, of course it was expensive there.
The place is fascinating. I recommend visiting early in the morning or on weekdays. We were in the rush hour, the crowds of people, of course, spoil the impression a little, but we were still satisfied with the visit
It's a great place. The mysterious shimmer of water on the columns and high arches, a few sculptures, changeable, but always spectacular lighting ... there are many tourists, but without crowding. The path from the entrance to the exit runs through the entire pool. There are many interesting angles and points for photos. The queue for entry in March was defended in 15 minutes. Union Pay was accepted.
The Basilica Cistern is one of the largest reservoirs in Istanbul, which has been well preserved to this day. Definitely ready to visit - emotions will be not only in children, but also in adults.
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Svetlana
Level 20 Local Expert
November 3
For 2700r it is very expensive. There are cheaper tanks, and there are 2 free ones (Nakkas and Gulhane Park - there is a label in Google maps) - yes, the rest are smaller and have a different backlight, but it would be better if we did not go for such an amount, it is not worth the money if you have already seen free ones. Up to 1500r would be normal.
The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul is one of the largest and best preserved ancient underground reservoirs in Constantinople. There are art objects here, the lighting changes, columns in the water.
The origin of the bases of the two columns with relief images of the heads of the Gorgon Medusa is unknown.
According to one theory, the heads were brought from some pagan ancient temple and used as building material.
According to another version, they were created for the reservoir to protect it from evil spirits and people with evil intentions, who should have turned to stone when looking at the image of a Jellyfish. It is also possible that the heads were purely decorative in nature.
According to architectural historians, the statues were removed from the facade of a public building of the late Roman period.
The "crying" Column (Column of Tears) is one of the most famous and mysterious columns in the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul.
The column got its name due to the relief images on the entire surface, which resemble tears. It is also noteworthy that this column is constantly wet, as if it is crying.
It is believed that the Column of Tears was erected in memory of the thousands of slaves who died during the construction of the reservoir. According to legend, the tears of those unfortunate people appear on the column.
Through holes in the ceiling, the cistern was filled with fresh groundwater.
The strong vaults of the Basilica Cistern are built using the technique of many cruciform domes and arches, they are supported by a forest of marble and granite columns 9 meters high.
The place itself is interesting and historical, but the price and expectation ratio did not match. In the hall itself, you walk as if there are a large number of people in line behind each other. As a result, you will pay 1000 liras for queuing inside the tank. The red price for this place is 50 lire.