Epic Travel → Europe → Turkey → Basilica Cistern

♦ Intrepid Top Pick!

Location: Sultanahmet District, Istanbul

Time Required: 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: Admission is 20 TL (around $5) – it is NOT included with the Museum Pass. Open daily from 9:00am – 5:30pm (until 6:30pm during the summer, which is presumably from 15 April – 30 October like other sites, although the official website is not specific); other hours may be observed on religious holidays. For more information, including hours on any religious holidays, visit this website.

What’s Nearby?: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Great Palace Mosaic Museum, Gülhane Park

The Basilica Cistern was built around the same time as the neighboring Hagia Sophia (which lies only 150 meters away), in the 6th century, and is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns beneath the city, covering 9800 square meters (105,000 square feet). The ceiling is supported by 336 marble columns, which were likely recovered from the ruins of older buildings; also “recycled” are two notable column bases carved with the visage of Medusa. They’re located in the northwest corner, and one of the heads is placed sideways, and the other is upside down. The cistern was apparently “forgotten” as the Great Palace fell into disuse and disrepair, from around 1100 – 1400 CE. In 1545, a scholar named Petrus Gyllius learned from local residents that they obtained water (and occasionally fish) by lowering buckets through their basement floors, and he eventually accessed the cistern through one of their basements. Various renovations and restorations of the space have occurred since then, with the most recent major effort occurring in 1985, when the current platforms were installed, allowing visitors to walk through the cistern (previously, you had to rent a boat, which actually sounds pretty sweet). Regardless, this is an incredibly cool place that you should absolutely experience at least once in your lifetime. If you happen to be watching the James Bond flick From Russia with Love (1963) or Dan Brown’s Inferno (2013), keep an eye out for the cistern!

Epic Travel → Europe → Turkey → Basilica Cistern