Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cistern)
- Address:Yerebatan Caddesi 13, Istanbul
- Hours:9 am- 8 pm
- Admission:10 TL
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1:22 AM Sunday, May 27
Passing clouds. Cool.
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Atmospheric music, rosy flood lighting and the lilting sound of water lapping on marble – entering the Yerebatan Sarayi - or Basilica Cistern, is an experience that charms all the senses.
Built to store water, this has to be the fanciest and most enormous well you’ll ever see. The cistern dates back to Byzantine days when the city was called Constantinople.
Built by Emperor Justinian in the mid-500s, the cavernous underground water-storage area has a vaulted brick ceiling supported by a forest of Corinthian-carved marble columns.
If this eerie, magical place looks a little familiar, you may recognize it from a scene in the James Bond movie From Russia with Love.
On your walk around the Basilica Cistern, seek out the two pillars that have the face of Medusa carved onto their base.
Latest Reviews All Yerebatan Sarayi (Basilica Cistern) Reviews »
Have a look at the columns in the Basilica Cistern ... there are very few that match. Apparently the Romans recycled columns from elsewhere in the country when they built the cistern. The cistern is a cool place to go to escape the Istanbul summer heat, and the fish seem to like it too! Continue Reading »
Practical Info
The Basilica Cistern is in Sultanahmet. The entrance is opposite Aya Sofia on Yerebatan Caddesi.
