There are hundreds of Byzantine cisterns underneath Istanbul. They are remnants of when Istanbul was Constantinople.
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıç) is the largest of all of them. It lies beneath the Stoa Basilica. The Stoa Basilica is a grand Byzantine public square. It is also called the Sunken Palace Cistern (Yerebatan Saray Sarnıçı).
The Basilica Cistern is as impressive as it is massive. It measures 138 meters long and 64.6 meters wide. It covers almost 1000 square meters. This is around 2.4 acres. Its capacity is 80,000 cubic meters. That is over 21 million US gallons. The Basilica also contains 336 marble columns.
The Yerebatan is the location of a scene in the James Bond movie From Russian with Love. Bond rows a small boat through a maze of marble columns. This scene was shot on location at the Basilica Cistern.
Justinian built the Basilica Cistern after 532. The Yerbatan stored water for the Great Palace and its nearby structures. Petrus Gyllius rediscovered the Basilica when he came to Constantinople to discover Byzantine monuments. Curiously, Gyllius noticed that locals got their water by lowering buckets through holes in the floors of their homes. He searched for an entrance, found one, and the rest is Turkey history.
The Ottomans used the Basilica to supply Topkapi Palace with water.
In the 1990s, the city added walkways and atmospheric lighting. Visitors can also sit and enjoy soft mood music, drinks, and snacks, at the Basilica’s cafe.
The Basilica Cistern is at the northeastern end of the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet Square. It is off Divan Yolu and across the street from Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia). The Cistern entrance is on Yerebatan Caddesi and the exit is on Alemdar Caddesi.
A typical visit lasts about 30 minutes to an hour. It is open from 0900 to 1730 every day. Entrance cost is TL10.
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