Basilica Cistern

Yerebatan Sarnıcı

A 6th-century underground reservoir of 336 columns standing in water

⚠ No cash; prices in flux

Hours

Day visits from 09:00 until about 18:30. The 19:30–22:00 night session may have changed after the June 2026 handover; check before you go

Tickets

Foreign visitors 1,950 TL by day, from 3,000 TL at night (last published rates, per istanbul.com checked Oct 2026). Card or İstanbulkart on site. Museum Pass not valid

Address

About 150 m from Hagia Sophia across the tram line; a small entrance on Yerebatan Caddesi

Down the stairs the air turns cool, and under red lighting hundreds of columns march off across shallow water. It was built under Justinian in the 6th century to supply the palace, and a lap of the metal walkway takes 30–40 minutes. At the far end two Medusa heads, one upside down and one on its side, serve as column bases, and everyone queues for photos there. Many say the ticket is steep for such a short visit, but just as many say nothing beats it for escaping a summer midday.