Going Underground in Istanbul - the Basilica Cistern
Istanbul was the last stop on our Turkey Itinerary. With only two days in the city we needed to choose carefully which landmarks we’d visit. Our hotel in Istanbul was in the Sultanahmet District, close to The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.
Naturally, they were all high on our Istanbul sightseeing list and maybe a boat trip on The Bosphorus if we had the time. We were excited about the food in Istanbul too.
But there is an unusual attraction in the city that has intrigued me since I first heard about it. Istanbul's Basilica cistern, and its role in keeping the city supplied with water since the sixth century.
The Basilica cistern, Istanbul
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Inside the Basilica cistern, Istanbul
Descending the 55 steps into the gloom of the underground cistern is deliciously cool after being in Istanbul's blistering heat. The cistern is probably the coolest spot in the city. Amber lighting illuminates the 336 marble columns rising from the water and their height is elongated by the reflections in the shallows.
Haunting music echoes around the cathedral-like chamber and accompanies the steady drip, drip of water from the arching 30ft ceiling. Istanbul's basillica cistern is eerily fascinating.
Marble pillars in the Basilica cistern
What was the Basilica cistern used for?
The cistern or, Yerebatan Sarnıcı (sunken palace) in Turkish, is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the streets of Istanbul.
This massive underground water container, its walls over 4m thick, was built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 532. It ensured that the people of, first Byzantium, then Constantinople and ultimately Istanbul were kept supplied with water.
Basilica cistern, Istanbul
The underground cistern, which is 143-meters long and 65-meters wide, could hold up to 80,000 cubic meters of water. That’s enough to fill 27 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Most of the water was collected from the Belgrade Forest and other areas outside the city.
Valens Aquaduct, Istanbul
Water was transported partly via the 971-meter long Valens Aqueduct, most of which still exists today. The Basilica cistern is just a small part of a complicated system of aqueducts, water towers, canals and fountains which fed the city with water.
Doric, Ionic and Corinithian pillars
In this subterranean world the 9-metre high columns glow in the darkness; a mixture of Doric, Ionic and Corinthian pillars spaced at four-meter intervals, and arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns each.
A raised walkway traverses through the towering pillars and we followed it, dodging the droplets falling from above. Carp swim in the gloomy shallows beneath the boardwalk.
Medusa Heads in the Basilica Cistern
Towards the back of the cistern in the far left-hand corner are two carved stone Medusa heads used as column bases. One is positioned upside down and the other placed on its side. Medusa is one of the three Gorgons, female monsters of the underground world, with the power to turn people to stone.
Some say the carvings are placed on their side to stop their gaze turning onlookers to stone, others that it is so that they are the right height for the columns. I guess the latter is true since the heads were probably reclaimed from another Roman building and not 'made to measure'. Having said that I did dare to gaze and am still here to tell the tale...
How the Basillica Cistern was discovered
In 1545, while researching Byzantine antiquities in the city, Frenchman, Peter Gyllius was told that people in the locality obtained water by lowering buckets through holes in their basements and sometimes even caught fish this way.
Curious to know more, he entered via a stone staircase in the back yard of a house and the cistern was re-discovered. After clearing out 50,000 tons of mud, rubbish and allegedy some bodies the Cistern was restored and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality opened it to the public in 1987.
Where is the Basilica Cistern?
The small entrance is located 150 metres southwest side of Hagia Sophia opposite the yellow building of the Tourist Police in Sultanahmet. Look out for the signs. There is usually a queue here but a visit is worth the wait our you can buy a skip the line guided tour online.
We went while we were waiting for prayers to finish at the Blue Mosque. It's also a good place to head if the sun is getting too much. You'll probably spend no more than an hour at the cistern.
Basilica Cistern visitor information
Basilica Cistern hours - Open daily from 9:00 – 23:50. Closed until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays.
Basilica Cistern price or entrance fee - Non-Turkish visitors: 900 TL. Reduced rates for Turkish visitors, teachers and students
Note: The Istanbul Museum Pass is not valid here although the Guided Museum Pass is.
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)
Yerebatan Caddesi 13, Sultanahmet – Istanbul
Tel: +90 212 522 12 59
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I agree, this basilica would be perfect for Halloween! 😉 Nice shots! It looks like a very mysterious and unique place. How long does it take to explore it all?
Hi Agnes - just found your comment in my spam?! Definitely a unique sight to see in Istanbul - we were there for about 45 mins to an hour. There's a cafe too
if you fancy a coffee...
Fabulous pictures! That was quite an adventure you had. So glad you weren't turned into stone. 🙂
It was a nice, little detour, in a city packed with tourists (like us!).
The lighting is so atmospheric - you must feel like you're on a real adventure exploring there!
It was unusual and a bit spooky in places...
Perfect for Halloween 🙂 Have probably told you before, Istanbul is HIGH on my list of favourite cities!
Oh Madhu, we only had two days - I must go back at the earliest opportunity, it's an amazing city.
You should. I returned for 5 full days in 2010 and could have stayed 5 more!
I've just said to someone else I could go for a week - so much to see; and then there's the food.....!
Absolutely 🙂
Lovely photos. Istanbul is very high on my list of places I must see - so I enjoyed seeing it through your eyes.
There so much more to see - we could have stayed a week and still run out of time for everything. I hope you get to visit soon... thank you for visiting my blog 🙂
We have been to Istanbul twice, but never been down to the cisterns, because Mab suffers from clautrophobia, would love to do it sometime though
There's loads of cafes/bars nearby for Mab. You only need around 40 mins in the cistern - time for her to sample at least one pastry!
Oh I'm visiting Istanbul next January. Looking at your pictures makes me want to pack my bags right away!
Hi and thanks for visiting my blog. I shall keep an eye out on your blog for your posts, I'd like to see what the city looks like
in January. I shall be posting more on Istanbul in the coming weeks and hopefully you'll find the info useful. Have a fantastic
trip next year 🙂
Wow, really impressive!
We had some delicious pomegranate salad dressing too but didn't try the juice - I wish I had now, sounds scrummy!
It was definitely very different 🙂
I loved this place, so atmospheric. A toughie to take photos of though!
Tricky indeed! I didn't have a tripod with me. Definitely worth a visit.
Cool! That's so interesting! What an amazing place. I'd love to go to Istanbul. Must get down to Gallipoli one day as well.
So much to see, so little time - Galipoli would be very pertinent for you... IMadhu at The Urge to Wander has a good post on it
Cool! I went and had a look. Thanks for the heads up!
I went there about 20 years ago (god that makes me feel old!) - it's amazing although I don't remeber it being so beautifully lit then x
Doesn't time fly! It's very atmospheric down there - great for Halloween week! Hope you're all well x 🙂
How beautiful are these photos! I'd forgotten about your Istanbul trip, Suze. Can't wait to see more.
Thanks Jo 🙂 There was so much to see in Istanbul - I need a week just to write about all of it...
Istanbul is somewhere towards the top of my "To Do" list, but your suggestion is an unexpected surprise!
Great photos 🙂
I love surprises! There's so much to see in Istanbul but this was nicely quirky 🙂
I love the cistern. On one visit there was an art show on display near the Medusa heads. Everything was on easels since there isn't really anywhere else to mount a show. I think the whole place is amazing, and the music and lighting make it all the more special. Love all your photos and all the information you packed in!
Thank you Terri - the music and lighting definitely added to the atmosphere and I really enjoyed researching the history element too 🙂
The underground cisterns were very mysterious - you've captured the mood of the place beautifully! Hope you enjoyed the rest of Istanbul - one of my favourite cities.
It was eerie down there! I loved Istanbul and think I need to go back as we only had two days there sadly.
Yes! Istanbul is amazing... I think my favourite experience there was the fresh pomegranate juices... I must have had about 20 of them in a day!
wow it's so atmospheric! My husband is Turkish and I've still not been to his native Istanbul - I'm so excited about going!
It's an amazing city with so much to see - I would love to go back and spend a week there. Thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂
Thank you for my Turkish fix - needed that today
My pleasure - enjoying your blog and gradually getting up to present day 🙂
Lovely atmospheric photo. Looks rather spooky though. An appropriate photo for Halloween week. 🙂
It was an unusual place. Quite tricky taking the photographs as I couldn't use a flash but I'm quite pleased with the way they came out 🙂
Just looked at this again Kathryn and all the narrative has gone - around 600 words.... 🙁
Oh NO! I did think it strange that you hadn't written anything. I wonder what went wrong?! I hope you can find them! K x
Phew - got it back! Not like me to write so little! 🙂
[ Smiles ] It is a combination of beautiful and breathtaking!
Thank you Renard 🙂
Hi Renaud and thanks for your comment - I'm afraid there was a lot more to that post but it didn't appear 🙁
However, the narrative and further photographs are now up if you'd like to see the post in full. Thanks for stopping by. Suzanne
It's quite magical!