The Basilica Cistern
1168 reviews
January 9
A must see in Istanbul. An atmospheric place, it impresses with its size and scale. The art objects are thematic works by students of creative universities.
See original · Русский
March 6
It's expensive, but it's worth the money. There is an interesting atmosphere inside, there are different compositions, which adds to the atmosphere. There are a lot of tourists, but you can take a nice picture.
See original · Русский
March 8
A very pretentious and mysterious place! History breathes there! And 1300 lire, it's not expensive to breathe this air. The water does not bloom, there are no foreign odors. An interesting backlight has been made. There is a statue in the far left corner. It's modern, but the lighting is made so that the shadow falls on the wall and it's like you're entering a mysterious world! It's a strange feeling! I held my breath, and this miracle was about to come out behind my back!
The ticket office is inside, you go in, go through the security check and buy a ticket. You can use cash (lira) or a card. I recommend it! You won't regret it!
See original · Русский
March 30
You can visit this place if you have extra money and time. I expected some kind of mystery and magical atmosphere, in fact it's just a basement room with a huge number of columns and water underfoot, which is illuminated by various kinds of spotlights. The child was upset to tears, he was waiting for an underground journey, but he just got into one huge room. Decide for yourself, many people were pleased and expressed complete delight.
See original · Русский
January 22
You can visit once, but 30 euros is too expensive. I didn't get any excitement. It is better to buy a ticket online, then you will not stand in a big queue, since someone bought a separate ticket online without queuing. By the way, there is also a cistern nearby in a 10-minute walk and it is free)
See original · Русский
2
October 11, 2024
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.
See original · Русский
7
February 5
Very atmospheric! There were two times. Once alone, the second time with a guide. Of course, it's more interesting and informative with a guide. Plus, we walked without waiting in line. I recommend visiting this place!
See original · Русский
March 28
I recommend. Get dressed or take something warm with you. It is noticeably cooler underground than on the surface. I think it's especially felt in the summer! The design is impressive and amazing. It is better to take a Guide or an audio guide. We were without- we had to read in English and translate "to myself and that guy." Nearby passing guides told interesting details. The ticket was purchased in advance online. We passed without waiting in line.
In the end, we didn't spare any money)
See original · Русский
March 4
truly a masterpiece of engineering. It is not only the scale of the building that amazes, but also the year of construction. There is a somewhat mysterious atmosphere downstairs, and the lighting and musical accompaniment enhance it. I recommend it!
See original · Русский
November 12, 2024
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.
See original · Русский
January 26
Definitely ready to visit. Plus the archaeological museum. Perhaps the best collection of ancient finds after Greece and Italy and, probably, London.
See original · Русский
April 25
You know, there are places that can fascinate you, I don't know why I want to come back here. It would seem that this is just a storage of fresh water for the period of drought. But the lighting , installations , and exhibitions also give this story a special entourage .
It 's worth the money . Choose weekdays to visit and preferably in the morning. Prices have become higher in recent years, which is a big disadvantage .
See original · Русский
November 12, 2024
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.
See original · Русский
3
March 15
The legendary cistern of the Basilica was visited with an individual tour. It's very beautiful and informative! There is no need to stand in a huge queue with the tour.
See original · Русский
March 6
I've visited it several times, and I personally really like it!Mysterious atmosphere, semi-darkness, water!One visit was complicated by standing in line for a long time, but it was worth it!I recommend you to visit as a must!The prices for entrance tickets (all the sights of Turkey, not only in Istanbul) are high!!!!We must be prepared for this fact!!!
See original · Русский
February 5
We bought tickets without an excursion, 900 lire per person, well, it's not worth it! Someone joked: I went down the Turkish sewer. Water drips on your head or something else 🤪from above, the WOW effect is only on photos and videos. We didn't get there the first time, we went the second time, and I just regretted the money I left for the tickets. Columns, lighting, a couple of objects for a mystical setting. In my photos, this is all that can be photographed) It is better to go from the very opening, there are always huge queues at the entrance.
See original · Русский
1
February 14
One of the most vivid impressions of Istanbul. A very beautiful place with an amazing history. Along with St. Sophia, I highly recommend visiting. Really expensive(
See original · Русский
November 13, 2024
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!
See original · Русский
March 6
A very interesting and unusual place next to the blue Mosque. The lighting accompaniment creates a kind of mystical look. It is better to buy tickets online to avoid huge queues.
See original · Русский
December 15, 2024
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
See original · Русский
March 21
It's an incredible place. Most of the atmosphere is created by the changing lighting, but even without this, the Cistern is striking in size, the columns create a real maze, and some of them are worth special attention - carved columns, columns with inverted faces.
See original · Русский
December 12, 2024
delight. This basilica remains one of the vivid memories of Istanbul. worth all your money. an incredibly fascinating place
like from the movie Inferno
See original · Русский
April 4
This place impressed me more than all the museums and mosques, I definitely recommend you to visit.
I also advise you to take an audio guide, it is very interesting and detailed.
See original · Русский
April 1
Beautiful, interesting, but unreasonably expensive. We paid for 2 tickets and one audio guide of 2800 lira, the whole inspection took 40 minutes at most, you don't go through there anymore. At the same time, Topkaps for 4,000 lire were spent the whole day. By the way, the audio guide is very funny - in the form of a QR code that you need to run on your phone. I'll attach a photo, maybe I'll save 200 liras for someone)
See original · Русский
6
March 25
The former water storage facility for the capital of the Byzantine Empire has now been turned into an underground museum. Dynamic lighting and strange installations complement it with their pros and cons. I definitely recommend you to visit, but keep in mind that it's quite cool underground!
See original · Русский
March 4
This is an incredible place! A complete immersion in antiquity...5th century... It feels different every time. And there is always something new (installations, lighting, etc.). Be sure to visit if you haven't been yet...
See original · Русский
November 11, 2024
Super, I recommend you to visit! For the convenience of listening to the audio guide, it is better to take headphones with you, so you will listen on your phone. You can take one ticket with a guide for two, one without and listen with only headphones)
See original · Русский
April 25
A very cool place to visit. I need to go at least once. It costs 1,500 lire during the day and 2,000 in the evening.
Life hack: during the day, the queue can be 2-3 hours, and there is a wild crush in the tank itself. It's better to come at 21-21:15. There are almost no people, because the tank is open until 22, and 30 minutes is enough to take cool photos and take a leisurely walk)
See original · Русский
2
February 10
I really liked it, but I don't understand the Turkish prices for museums for foreigners, 900 lira is 2700 rubles, like going to the theater, there are no such prices in Rome!
I regret that I did not buy a gold magnet with a Gorgon.
See original · Русский
December 7, 2024
A fantastic place, very atmospheric. It impresses with its scale, beauty, and architecture!!! I recommend you to visit 💯%
See original · Русский
3
March 17
For me, the place is quite unusual, I have not met any analogues yet, I think it's worth a visit.
Of course, in my opinion, the price is unreasonably high, as well as many tourists. places of Istanbul.
We were lucky, there were at most 10 minutes in the queue.
See original · Русский
February 28
One of the most impressive structures . It is definitely recommended to visit. Familiarize yourself with the history and characteristics in order to understand the scale and significance of the structure.
See original · Русский
April 16
A very atmospheric place that is worth a visit if you are interested in history. Come early, as there are very long queues, or buy a ticket online. You need one audio guide per company. Prices are biting in 2025.
See original · Русский
December 25, 2024
A large-scale construction of bygone eras. There is a lot of information about how it all worked out, but I can't even imagine in those days how it could have been! Now, with geniuses, engineers and technicians are building more modest facilities! The price is rather low-budget, but if you find yourself in Istanbul, I recommend it!
See original · Русский
December 19, 2024
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.
See original · Русский
April 21, 2024
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.
See original · Русский
4
6
February 21, 2024
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)
See original · Русский
10
1
January 2
A very unusual place that breathes history. Modern trends have been introduced into architecture, and unusual lighting is doing its job. The cost of the visit, in my opinion, is too high.
See original · Русский
February 20
A must-see attraction. A huge room underground with a forest of columns. Solemn and gloomy. The viewing experience is additionally influenced by the description of the cistern in Dan Brown's novel Inferno. By the way, there is a miniature version of the Basilica cistern nearby in Gulhane Park. For the fall of 2024, absolutely free
See original · Русский
1
April 7
As a matter of fact, this is one of those places that you need to visit at least once if you are in Istanbul. even though the price of admission has increased enormously. Reconstruction was carried out, new bridges were laid, beautiful lighting was made.
See original · Русский
April 4, 2024
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(
See original · Русский
7
March 3
I really liked the basilica itself. Everything is in order with the tickets. As it says on the stand, they sold it. Unlike the ticket office in Sofia, where they tried to sell a ticket for 48 dollars, at a cost of 25. At the same time, the amount in lira was overestimated.
At the exit from the Basilica, we bought soap in round metal jars for 75 lire. Later, when walking around the city, they didn't see anything cheaper than 100 lira for this. Therefore, at the end of the trip, we returned to the store and bought soap for gifts before
See original · Русский
February 4
It's very interesting and beautiful, the lighting. It's always cool. It's amazing that they were able to build it earlier. Although not cheap. 900 liras for February 2025.
See original · Русский
1
January 19
You can watch an interesting audio guide. But the price is high. We paid 6,000 rubles for two people. And the tour takes 30-40 minutes.
In general, if you have money, then you can go, if you are straining with money, then there are many free places that you can see on your first visit to Istanbul
See original · Русский
April 28
A beautiful majestic building. The engineering thought of ancient people is amazing. It's worth a visit. The only thing that upsets me is the exorbitant ticket price. But if people are coming, then everything is fine.
See original · Русский
April 26
We were in February, we came to the opening before all buses and excursions. There was no queue, there weren't many people inside, but because they arrived early.
The largest Basilica is expensive, but it's worth a visit.
Take an audio guide, it will be more interesting.
See original · Русский
March 27
On the downside: now if some villain wants to spread his virus in this place, he will be considered a mediocre copycat, as it has already been described by Dan Brown. Although, if you think about it, it's more of a plus.
With so much water, she became absolutely useless in the siege of the city.
On the plus side, it can now be viewed without scuba gear.
See original · Русский
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.
See original · Русский
3
April 28
Incredibly beautiful! Everything from the size to the carving is impressive. Huge columns, interesting lighting. It's amazing how it could have been built in the distant centuries!!! It still stands and pleases! Recommended to visit!
See original · Русский
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.
See original · Русский
1