Basilica Cistern is among the most visited museums in Istanbul. In this article, you can find updated information about the Basilica Cistern entrance fee and opening hours. In addition, the history of the Basilica Cistern is also briefly noted.
During the high tourist season, it is possible to enter the Basilica Cistern with online tickets. You can join the guided tour by purchasing a ticket from the link at the end of the article. These skip-the-line tickets give you fast access to the museum and can be canceled up to 24 hours before the event.
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Byzantine Cisterns in Istanbul
There are hundreds of Byzantine cisterns in the Old City of Istanbul. If you look carefully, you will notice that there are cisterns with red brick ceilings visible even in Hagia Sophia Square or the second courtyard of Topkapi Palace.
Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, had been under siege many times in history. The city, which had the most powerful city walls of the Middle Ages, succeeded in lifting the siege each time. In military history, these walls are called Theodosian Walls.
However, it was not only the walls that were necessary during the sieges. It was very important to meet the water needs of the city people. Therefore, there are numerous cisterns under the Historical Peninsula of Istanbul.
Today, three Byzantine cisterns are open to visitors as a museum in Sultanahmet. One is the famous Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici), the other is the recently restored Theodosius Cistern (Serefiye Sarnici). Apart from these two, there is another cistern called Cistern of Philoxenos (Binbirdirek Sarnici).
History of The Basilica Cistern
The history of the Basilica Cistern goes back 1500 years, when the Byzantine Empire was at the height of its power. It was built in the 540s during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian.
Justinian, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 527 to 565, was also the ruler who built Hagia Sophia. He is considered the most important ruler of the Byzantine Empire, which survived for more than 1000 years.
The Basilica Cistern is really amazing in size. Built in 108 meters and 65 meters in size, the cistern is the largest cistern in Istanbul with an area of 9800 m2. The Cistern was built to meet the water needs of the Great Palace of Eastern Roman Emperors.
1. Ancient Columns of Basilica Cistern
Inside the cistern, there are 336 reused columns from various ancient Greco-Roman structures. When you look carefully at these columns, you will notice that they are not made for this cistern and are of different shapes and lengths.
Some of the ancient columns of the Basilica Cistern are from the ancient Greek period, while others are from the Roman period. The Byzantines, on the other hand, gathered columns from the ruins of these periods.
2. Medusa Heads in the Cistern
As you move towards the bottom of the cistern, you will see that large stones were placed under the two very short columns for support. Medusa’s face was engraved on these stones.
For the architects who built the cistern, the rocks of which medusa heads were engraved had no meaning. They told the workers to place the rocks under two columns shorter than the others. But in the 540s when the cistern was built, it had only been two centuries since Christianity had been accepted.
The figures of ancient Greek mythology still remained in the minds of people. The workers were afraid of Medusa, which turned everyone into stone. Therefore, they placed one of the Medusa heads on the side and one upside down.
3. Why is It Called Basilica Cistern?
There are various rumors about where the Basilica Cistern got its name. The most common of these is that the cistern was named as the Basilica Cistern because it was built under the square called Stoa Basilica, an important square during the Byzantine period.
Basilicas functioned as court buildings in the early Roman Empire. However, later, when Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity, they were converted into churches one by one.
The aim in doing this was to create a practical place of worship for the ever-increasing Christian community. Thus, for centuries, churches were inspired by the basilica plan.
Basilica Cistern Entrance Fee 2022
Basilica Cistern entrance fee is 30 Turkish Lira as of 2022. Children under the age of 7 free of charge. Please note that Istanbul Museum Pass is not valid for this place. Also credit card is not accepted. Make sure you have enough money to buy Basilica Cistern tickets in cash.
Basilica Cistern Opening Hours 2022
Basilica Cistern opening hours are between 09:00 in the morning and 17:30 in the evening. The closing hours of the cistern are extended until 18:30 in the summer. The Cistern is open to visitors every day throughout the year.
Basilica Cistern closed in 2020 for restoration and has not yet opened. As of March 6, 2022, when I updated this article, the cistern is still closed. I will update the post when it reopens.
Buy Basilica Cistern Tickets Online
You can buy your online tickets for the Basilica Cistern from the link below. These tickets are slightly more expensive than regular entrance tickets. However, it provides guided tour service without waiting you in the queue for a long time.
You may browse Skip The Line Basilica Cistern Entrance Tickets from here (Temporarily Unavailable) which is really reasonable! These fast entry tickets are sold under the guarantee of GetYourGuide, an international company. Easy cancellation with a FULL REFUND up to 24 hours in advance.
How to Get to The Cistern?
The Basilica Cistern is located in Sultanahmet, the touristic center of Istanbul. The Cistern is known as “Yerebatan Sarnici” in Turkish. And it is located at the beginning of Yerebatan Street with the same name.
In order to get to the Basilica Cistern from Taksim Square, you can first take the Funicular F1 to Kabatas. You can reach Sultanahmet by Tram T1 from Kabatas and walk to the cistern in a few minutes from the tram station.
Conclusion
The Basilica Cistern is located in one of the most touristic places in Istanbul. After visiting the cistern, you can see many museums and historical artifacts in the Sultanahmet district.
If you want to learn more about places to visit in Istanbul, I can recommend you a useful blog post. Thanks to the maps and information in Istanbul Maps article, you can easily find the places you will visit during your Istanbul trip.
Written by Serhat Engul
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