The Basilica Cistern
849 reviews
November 12, 2024
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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2
November 3, 2024
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.
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October 17, 2024
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.
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September 20, 2024
A divine place) Although there are a lot of people, you can still take pictures and see interesting places) I also advise you to visit this place)
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3
November 25, 2024
to take a picture without people, you have to try very hard. in order not to get someone in the frame, you have to try even harder. spectacular lighting change. but, the queue for an hour is not worth it, it's better to have a kebab for an extra hour. if you decide to visit, try before lunch:the sooner the better, you will save a lot of time.
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1
December 29, 2024
It's a very atomospheric place! All the columns are unique, the lighting is beautiful. Pleasant humidity and coolness on a hot day. Queues at the ticket office are hellish .
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November 10, 2024
Of course, this place can be attributed to the most unusual sights of Istanbul. This is the first time I've seen this, and my sister, who has traveled half the world, has also never seen anything like this before. The impression is very vivid! We recommend a mandatory visit!
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January 6
Since the visit was part of a general tour, there were no queues. The price is standard for tourist locations (900 liras) Beautiful, color-changing lighting that adds atmosphere.
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1
January 9
At first, it was a pity for 900 lira (without a guide), but then I realized how old this tank was and decided. Not exactly wow, but it's worth it!
If someone is interested in an ancient building, come here, for a beautiful location for a photo, come here too!
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April 12, 2024
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.
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3
November 16, 2024
It is impressive how people were able to create such a complex engineering structure a hundred years ago . But. The cost of admission, in my opinion, is high. You will not be able to look at it calmly because of the huge number of tourists. Nearby there is a completely free and no less beautiful cistern with almost no people
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December 17, 2024
It's beautiful and atmospheric, but there are too many tourists to enjoy the scope properly. And quite expensive
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August 4, 2024
Gorgeous views inside, fantastic installations in the water. It's cool in the summer heat. The backlight is just super.
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3
June 20, 2024
The mystically fascinating basilica cistern! The lighting is changing, there are art objects that are successfully integrated into the interior of the Basilica. I didn't like the fact that tourists throw coins into the water (well, a herd of sheep - one threw it, others also need it). Sorry for the comparison). You can walk with a calm step in 30-40 minutes. On a hot day, it is especially pleasant to go down to the dungeon - it is cool there. In June 2024, the cost of a visit is 800 Turkish lira. We were lucky - the queue at the checkout was small. I recommend visiting for lovers of history and beautiful shots
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November 26, 2024
If you go on this tour, I recommend it with an audio guide. Because without it, not everything will be clear. In general, the place is impressive, fascinating and with the story of the audio guide it is quite interesting, but sooooo expensive. 3000 per person😩
The queues are not long.
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October 13, 2024
An impressive structure!! And the most important thing is historically priceless, we must always remember this and try to preserve it
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January 18
It's very beautiful and atmospheric. The columns are beautiful. There's a huge queue at the entrance, but it's moving pretty fast, so you need to stand in line.
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January 13
The cistern itself is an unusual place, inspiring you with the mood of the past, some former greatness and breadth of engineering thought. But after 10 minutes, the same kind of landscapes disappear, the water dripping on your head starts to irritate and you already think: "Why did I pay 30 euros?" Good for once, but even so unreasonably expensive.
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December 14, 2024
An interesting attraction, worth visiting at least once. An unusual and even mysterious place. The breath of history is felt
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April 10, 2024
One of the cisterns of Constantinople, along with the cistern of Theodosius, is well equipped and illuminated. The bonus is all sorts of art objects and the head of the Gorgon Medusa and the Column of Tears, which are written about in all guidebooks. Fans of Bond and Dan Brown will be interested to see the filming location of the films (actually, the cistern went for a large-scale restoration after Tom Hanks rowed in a boat between the columns in Inferno).
The tank is worth the money, of course you can go to smaller places for free (khe-khe Nakkash carpet store and in Gulhane Park), but this one is striking in its size and gives a good idea of how everything was arranged.
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3
November 15, 2024
Fabulously beautiful, the music is magical! It's a bit expensive- 650 Tl, but the experience is worth it! I definitely recommend it!
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June 10, 2024
A must-visit. The first day of rest we went- it was closed. But after a couple of days, it worked. The atmosphere is incredible. It's very fascinating, the photos turn out to be unusually interesting. Listen to a brief history of the tank's origin
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3
August 4, 2024
A very cool atmospheric place, beautiful locations, a must-visit. There is an audio guide.
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4
November 16, 2024
The Basilica cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı), the construction of which began fifteen hundred years ago under Emperor Constantine, and which was closed for some time, has been available to visitors since November 9, 2023. If you want to inspect the tank, it is better to arrive at the opening, by 9.00. An hour after the opening, there is a huge queue...
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2
January 9
An incredibly atmospheric structure. It is very impressive and draws you in. Do not spare 1000 lire . Get into it !
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November 14, 2024
It's an amazing place. Everything that was BEFORE is fine, it would still be ideal to visit without a large number of tourists))
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January 5
It's an incredibly cool place! Just a must-visit! I somehow got to a concert... and a buffet.... The atmosphere is indescribable! I've been there a few times
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December 17, 2024
An amazing engineering structure! It is impressive in its scale , and everything was done beautifully and mysteriously inside
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July 13, 2024
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.
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December 8, 2024
It's a beautiful place, but the entrance is expensive. In November 2024, 1000 liras are already being asked for admission! You can walk through the dungeon without a guide in 20 minutes. In order not to stand in line for an hour at the entrance, it is better to come in the morning.
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November 20, 2024
The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul is one of the largest and best preserved ancient underground reservoirs in Constantinople.
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1
October 10, 2024
At first I was in another tank, a smaller one, and I was impressed. I didn't want to go to this one anymore. I thought it was nothing new. But! It's overwhelming. Especially if you think about when it was created, what tools, the level of logistics and mechanization. It is necessary to visit here. To see with your own eyes the result of creative work.
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January 1, 2024
The Basilica cistern in the center of old Istanbul is worthy of every tourist's visit. It is unlikely that you will see such a structure anywhere else in the world. It is located to the right of the famous St. Sophia, in a nondescript one-story building. But you will immediately see a long queue at the ticket offices. Do not be afraid, even in high season, you will complete it in a maximum of 30 minutes. There's always shade on this side of the street, so you won't burn out in the sun. Volunteers are scurrying around, helping advanced tourists to issue an electronic ticket and get into the Tank without queuing. The pleasure is not cheap (about 2000 rubles), but it is worth a visit. More interesting than the numerous mosques (which are also magnificent). The cistern is a huge underground structure for storing drinking water (in the Middle Ages). There's a museum there now. It is interesting with its columns and changing illumination. So I recommend it. You will not wish!
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3
1
December 6, 2023
The place is truly amazing, with beautiful lighting and unusual sculptures. The acoustics are very good here and therefore classical music concerts are held periodically. I definitely recommend watching it!
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3
January 18
eleonoraisaeva8591@gmail.com An atmospheric place, you can take interesting photos. But there's nothing to do there for a long time. You can go once, check the box.
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1
September 2, 2024
A very atmospheric place with a rich history and mysteries. I recommend that you definitely visit. It's quite comfortable and cool down there. The cost on 08/31/2024 was 800 lira for 1 person, but definitely this place needs to be visited!
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January 2
It's just beautiful and interesting. But for me, the price of a visit is unreasonably high. I would not recommend going for this price tag. It's no less interesting to walk around the neighborhood, and for free.
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January 13
I was here, stood in line for 5 minutes, but you can really stand for up to 20 minutes, changed my mind, for a family of 9,000rubles, decided to watch on YouTube, and also spend the money on museums, for example, the Museum of modern Art
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August 11, 2024
Buy tickets in advance, and do not stand in a huge queue. It's humid inside. Atmospheric. You can read the information on the Internet and do without a guide. And find the third Gargoeu yourself) she is there, nearby.
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March 24, 2024
The cisterns of the Basilica are a must-visit place in Istanbul. The unique lighting creates an atmosphere of extraordinary color. The feeling of a fabulous place! The various shapes of the columns add to the effect of being present in the past)
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2
March 19, 2024
It is located in the historical center of Istanbul. An underground reservoir built by the Greeks. Paid entrance. There is high humidity inside. It's a little dark for photos and videos, there is a backlight. Interesting exhibitions and sculptures. Beautiful columns made of different types of marble.
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September 19, 2024
A must-visit, the room is not of probable size, very beautiful, especially the changing lighting.
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3
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July 22, 2024
A great place for a photo) for a whole 30 minutes of interest and to watch the entire interactive program. It is located near famous attractions
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October 31, 2024
The reservoir is a former one. But they arranged beautiful lighting and installations and turned out to be a tourist site. It's bad that they only take their own currency for payment and had to look for an exchanger first
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August 2, 2024
The scale of the reservoir is amazing. How many earthquakes have occurred in the centuries since the Cistern was built - and it costs… Entrance is paid, there are other cisterns in Istanbul where you can get in for free, in the Basilica Cistern during the day the cost of visiting is cheaper than the evening entrance.
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3
October 27, 2024
A great place, an underground reservoir. Like a big underground palace. Very beautiful.
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November 9, 2023
In the underground room of a small one-story building with an inconspicuous entrance there is a huge water storage tank built in 532 AD. There is not much water in it, compared to the size of the room. How such an amount of water could meet the needs of citizens is not clear… But it's worth visiting, it's quite unusual, especially on a hot day you don't want to leave there.
There is a big queue at the entrance. Enterprising businessmen offer to pass without a queue for an additional fee – do not be fooled by their tricks, the queue goes very fast.
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5
1
May 28, 2024
It is very beautiful and fascinating. Excellent lighting, ancient columns collected from different places, differing from each other - very impressive
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December 3, 2024
1000 lire, count 30 euros per nose, for foreigners. Turkish hospitality. The price has increased 3 times since last year. In total, it discouraged the desire to visit. And it's not about the money. Galata Tower is similar, 30 euros per lift. Have breakfast in a Turkish cafe for about 30 euros. Surprisingly, the magnets are still 2 euros, not 30.
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3
September 17, 2024
It's amazing! The pictures are cool. You can buy a ticket online, but not with a Russian card. You can do it on the spot at the checkout. The queue at the beginning of August was about 30 minutes long.
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