Basilica Cistern Tickets & Guided Tour
Beneath the streets of Sultanahmet is a cathedral-sized chamber holding up 336 marble columns, lit low, with water still standing between the walkways. It was built to supply the Great Palace and the surrounding baths and fountains with drinking water, and it is now one of the most atmospheric quarter-hours in the city.
- At the gate
- £41.65
- Allow
- 1h 30m
- District
- Sultanahmet
- Closed
- Open daily
The Basilica Cistern, in short
Beneath the streets of Sultanahmet is a cathedral-sized chamber holding up 336 marble columns, lit low, with water still standing between the walkways. It was built to supply the Great Palace and the surrounding baths and fountains with drinking water, and it is now one of the most atmospheric quarter-hours in the city.
Two Medusa heads sit at the far end, reused as column bases u2014 one on her side, one completely upside down. Nobody has settled why.
Opening hours
Open every day, 09:00 to 18:50. Last entry is 18:30.
What it costs
Walk-up entry is 1,500 Turkish lira, and the ticket queue regularly runs to half an hour. A guided tour with admission is included on the pass, so you skip both.
Getting there
It sits on the old city's main square, about 100 metres from Hagia Sophia. Take the T1 tram to Sultanahmet.
How long to allow, and when to go
Fifteen minutes on your own, 25 to 30 with a guide. The space is dark with narrow walkways, so it is far better before the crowds arrive u2014 between 09:00 and 10:00, and noticeably quieter in summer at that hour.
A little history
Emperor Justinian I ordered the cistern built in 532 AD, and the date is not incidental. That year brought the Nika riots, the most destructive uprising the Eastern Roman Empire ever faced, which levelled much of the city centre.
Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, the Great Palace and this cistern were all rebuilt in the aftermath. Istanbul has three broad types of cistern u2014 overground, underground and open-air u2014 and this is the finest surviving example of the second.
Frequently asked questions
- Storing, filtering and supplying water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and the other buildings on the First Hill.
- No, the Istanbul Museum Card is not valid here. Entry with a guided tour is included on our pass.
- Daily, 09:00 to 18:50, with last entry at 18:30.
- About 30 minutes is comfortable. Come before midday and you will share it with far fewer people.
- Yes, though it is dark, cool and damp underfoot, and the walkways are narrow. Sensible shoes help.