Visiting The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul

Most people visiting Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district will walk past a small, modest building just opposite the famous Haghia Sophia and simply ignore it.

A typical example of “what matters is content and not packaging,” I would say! That’s because this tiny building is just the entrance to the Basilica Cistern, one of the most interesting historical monuments in Istanbul.

By the middle of the sixth century, Emperor Justinian I had commissioned the construction of better system to supply water to the growing population of Constantinople.

Today, we can see in present-day Istanbul the result of the work of about seven thousand slaves.

The reservoir is 143 meters long by 65 meters wide and is only one among possibly hundreds more.

Through the years, the Basilica Cistern fell into complete oblivion and was discovered in 1545 by Frenchman Petrus Gyllius.

Back then, he noticed that many of Istanbul’s inhabitants could get water by simply placing a bucket into a hole in their basement.

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On my first trips to Istanbul, I kind of acted like the city residents from centuries ago. I knew there was something there and totally ignored the small building, for now not knowing what it was.

It was only in the last 5 years that I finally decided to investigate and find out exactly where the “tank” was.

Entering the “little house” I’ve been mentioning, you have to go down some flights of stairs and, from there, you already feel that you are in a different place.

While the outside weather is extremely hot, the Basilica Cistern is a cooler place and a refuge for those looking to escape the extremely hot summer temperatures.

The reservoir ceiling is supported by some 336 columns, all lined up and (today) with a lighting system that gives the place an air of sheer mystery.

These columns were collected and brought in from pagan temples in Anatolia, the Asian part of Turkey.

The reservoir is large enough to store about 80,000 litres of water coming through aqueducts from the Belgrade Forest.

Due to the low lighting, it is difficult to photograph the place with an ordinary camera and, unfortunately, it is not allowed to use a tripod.

The main highlight of a visit to the Basilica Cistern is two Medusa heads, one lying on one side and the other upside-down.

There are several theories about these Medusa heads, but the most commonly accepted is that they have been reused from other temples – nothing exciting, I know! 🙂

The Basilica Cistern in Hollywood

If you’re into Holywood cinema, some scenes from the film “From Russia with Love”, James Bond appears to get across underground Istanbul on a boat, via the Basilica Cistern.

Of course that this is an exaggeration since the reservoir is a little more than 100 meters in length. But the short sequence makes for good viewing.

Visiting The Basilica Cistern in Istanbul

The entrance to the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı in Turkish) is a small, square stone house right Haghia Sophia, not far from the Blue Mosque.

Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Price: 20 Turkish Lira per person. You can only pay cash (debit/credit cards are strictly not accepted) and the Museum Pass is not valid.

Make sure to take a light jumper, as it’s quite cold downstairs.

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