Basilica Cistern

Yerebatan Sarnıcı

An underground reservoir built by a 6th-century Byzantine emperor. 336 marble columns support a dim underwater palace, and the Medusa heads at the column bases are its most mysterious feature.

The Basilica Cistern was built by Justinian I in 532. It measures 140 metres long and 70 metres wide, with 336 nine-metre marble columns arranged in 12 rows that support a brick vaulted ceiling. It could hold about 80,000 cubic metres of water to supply the Great Palace. Most of the columns were salvaged from temples around the empire, so their styles vary. The cistern was forgotten during the Ottoman period. In 1545, a French scholar rediscovered it after hearing that residents were drawing water from beneath their floors. It opened to the public after restoration in 1985. A second major restoration, completed in 2022 after five years, added walkways, coloured light installations and contemporary sculpture. With the water level lowered, the column bases are much easier to see. The most famous features are the two Medusa heads at the bases of the columns in the northwest corner, one upside down and one on its side. Their origin and the reason they were placed this way remain a mystery. There is also a 'Weeping Column' covered in teardrop patterns. Scenes from the James Bond film From Russia with Love and The Da Vinci Code were filmed here. Foreigners pay about 900 to 1,200 lira (roughly €30, rising every year). The evening session after 7:30 p.m. costs more but looks better with the light show. Book at yerebatan.com. A visit takes about 45 minutes. It is damp and the floors are slippery inside, so wear non-slip shoes. The entrance is on the west side of Hagia Sophia Square, a 1-minute walk from Sultanahmet tram station. In peak season the morning queue is long, so visit later in the afternoon.

Basilica Cistern

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