The Basilica Cistern
669 reviews
October 10
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.
August 15
Beautiful place
3
October 9, 2023
Crowded. But nice to see this place
June 5, 2023
A fascinating sight
October 11
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
5
July 6
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.
See original · Русский
September 30
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.
See original · Русский
1
April 21
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
3
June 20
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
See original · Русский
June 10
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
See original · Русский
1
April 4
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
August 1
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
See original · Русский
2
February 21
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
September 3
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
See original · Русский
October 29
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.
See original · Русский
July 31
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.
See original · Русский
2
July 13
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.
See original · Русский
May 28
It is very beautiful and fascinating. Excellent lighting, ancient columns collected from different places, differing from each other - very impressive
See original · Русский
September 8
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!
See original · Русский
1
October 31
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
See original · Русский
August 25
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
See original · Русский
2
April 29
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!
See original · Русский
7
July 22
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
See original · Русский
May 2
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.
See original · Русский
3
October 2
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.
See original · Русский
September 13
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.
See original · Русский
1
August 9
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.
See original · Русский
3
August 3
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.
See original · Русский
2
August 16
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.
See original · Русский
April 12
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.
See original · Русский
3
June 24
A gorgeous place, interesting, unusual, you can hide from the heat of the day. There are almost no queues in the morning and afternoon. Definitely worth including in the visit list!
See original · Русский
3
September 29
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.
See original · Русский
1
September 29
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.
See original · Русский
August 22
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.
See original · Русский
October 31
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
See original · Русский
April 10
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.
See original · Русский
3
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.
See original · Русский
September 29
An amazing historical monument that has survived to our times, captivating with its beauty and power. There are long queues on weekends, and the entrance ticket is not cheap, but it's worth it to visit it.
See original · Русский
1
October 17
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.
See original · Русский
September 20
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)
See original · Русский
1
November 10
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!
See original · Русский
January 1
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!
See original · Русский
3
1
June 22
It's a very beautiful place, the queue is big in front of the entrance, but it's worth it! The entrance fee is 25€.
It is quite stuffy and crowded inside, but this does not prevent you from enjoying the beauty.
See original · Русский
May 28
Very "delicious", the smell is amazing. It's dark, cool and humid, and after a hot day outside, it's just the thing. The scale is amazing, the queue is moving fast. Closes at 19.00, runs until 18.30
See original · Русский
2
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!
See original · Русский
2
March 24
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)
See original · Русский
2
March 19
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.
See original · Русский
August 4
Gorgeous views inside, fantastic installations in the water. It's cool in the summer heat. The backlight is just super.
See original · Русский
3
October 13
An impressive structure!! And the most important thing is historically priceless, we must always remember this and try to preserve it
See original · Русский
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.
See original · Русский
5
1