Antik Cisterna Entrance
A late Roman or early Byzantine cistern, roughly 1,500 years old, found during construction of the Antik Hotel in the 1980s and preserved beneath it.
- At the gate
- £4.25
- Allow
- 1h 30m
- District
- Eminonu
- Closed
- Open daily
Antik Cisterna, in short
A late Roman or early Byzantine cistern, roughly 1,500 years old, found during construction of the Antik Hotel in the 1980s and preserved beneath it.
It is small, genuinely atmospheric, and almost always empty u2014 the opposite of the Basilica Cistern in every respect except the architecture.
Opening hours
Open 09:00 to 17:00, with last entry shortly before closing.
What it costs
Entry is u20ac5. Included on the pass.
Getting there
It is on the -2 and -3 floors of the Antik Hotel, near Beyazu0131t in the old city. T1 tram to Beyazu0131t or Laleli.
How long to allow
Twenty minutes. The two-floor chamber is now used for exhibitions and events as well as visits.
How it was found
The site was a commercial building until 1983. It was demolished in 1984 to build the hotel, and the cistern turned up during excavation u2014 which is how a good deal of Istanbul's Byzantine fabric has come to light.
Frequently asked questions
- 09:00 to 17:00, with last entry shortly before closing.
- Beneath the Antik Hotel, on the -2 and -3 floors, near Beyazu0131t in the old city.
- Far smaller and far quieter. The Basilica Cistern is the spectacle; this is the one where you will be alone.
- During excavation for the hotel in the mid-1980s, after the previous building on the site was demolished.