Basilica Cistern

The Mystery of The Basilica Cistern

If you’re a James Bond fan you might remember the rather mysterious underground chambers featured in the film ‘From Russia With Love’. If you do, you’re thinking about Istanbul’s beautiful Basilica Cistern.

Without a doubt one of Istanbul’s most popular spots, Basilica Cistern is located in Sultanahmet, and is a historical, cultural, and downright amazing place to visit! This should certainly be on your itinerary, and it’s a good idea to get there early, as most other people have the same idea!

What is The Basilica Cistern?

Basilica Cistern is known as the ‘Sunken Palace’, or ‘Yerebatan Sarayi’ in Turkish. This was a former water cistern, obviously located underground, and served as the major reservoir to provide water to Istanbul, then known as Constantinople. Where did the water come from? Many have asked, and the answer is the nearby Belgrade Forest, via some huge and very impressive-looking aqueducts, dating back to Byzantine times.

Basilica Cistern was built in 537 AD, so it predates the mighty Ottoman Empire by quite a large amount of time. It was actually built during the time of Emperor Constantine, but it was built upon and expanded by Justinian, as the city began to grow and more water was required to serve the general area. It was also used as a storage spot for water for the Great Palace, many during the Byzantine era, and it also served water to Topkapi Palace, later on in history.

Basilica Cistern was abandoned at one point, but rediscovered in 1545 by Petrus Gyllius, a Frenchman in Istanbul. The cistern was discovered due to houses built over the top and in the immediate surrounding area beginning to sink down. Locals realised they could build wells down into the water below and catch fish, selling it to locals to make extra cash. Gyllius began to wonder what was underneath the houses, and this is when Basilica Cistern was rediscovered and it went on to serve the huge palaces of the Ottoman Empire.

Basilica Cistern in The Modern Day

These days, visitors to Basilica Cistern can’t get enough of the mysterious feel. Anything which is located underground has that strange and haunting atmosphere, but combined with the history of the place, the feeling is something quite special indeed. Many films have used Basilica Cistern as part of their set, including the aforementioned Bond film, and more recently, Inferno, filmed in 2013. There are sure to be many more films that use this historic and atmospheric place in the future.

The most popular part of Basilica Cistern is probably the statue of Medusa. This is the spot you see most regularly photographed and it is actually an upside down statue, which adds to the strangeness! There are two huge Medusa heads which sit in the far corners of the building and are used as plinths. One is upside down and one is the right way up. The reason she is upside down is because this is supposed to remove Medusa’s powers. Remember, Medusa was supposed to turn anyone who looked into her eyes into stone. The Medusa statues are thought to be date back to the oldest part of the history of Basilica Cistern, during Roman times. You’ll also find a huge 336 columns supporting the building’s structure. Considering the amount time these have lasted, and the amount of earthquakes that Istanbul has experienced over the years, these are very strong columns indeed!

There are fish swimming in the lower sections of the basilica, colourful carp, and this makes for a peaceful walk along the raised pavemented sections, even though you are far underground. It is thought that Basilica Cistern is actually just one of 80 underground cisterns in the city, but without a doubt this is the largest and the best preserved of them all. To give you an idea of the size, Basilica Cistern is 143m in length, and measures 65m wide. It has the capacity to hold up to 17.5 million gallons of water. That’s a lot of H2O!

Visiting Basilica Cistern

Basilica Cistern is one of the most famous and most visited attractions in Istanbul, so be sure to head there early and be prepared to queue! The cistern is located in Sultanahmet, so it is very close to some other major attractions, such as Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Gulhane Park, and Blue Mosque. You can easily make a full day or two just exploring this historic area along.

Basilica Cistern is open every day, however do check ahead of time if you’re visiting during a public holiday or a religious holiday, when opening times may vary, or the attraction may be closed. Opening hours are generally 9am until 7pm. There is a 20TL entrance fee to go inside, but this is more than worth it for what you’re going to see and experience.

Once you’ve seen all you want to see inside Basilica Cistern, be sure to head out and see some of the other major attractions in the area. You can also try some delicious and authentic Turkish cuisine at one of the many traditional restaurants around the Sultanahmet area. You’ll get to try something different, and you will certainly be very full too! There’s no worries on that score however, as you can walk around the area with ease, and burn off those calories, just in time for your next meal!