Ephesus Tours
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Private Day Tours
    • Ephesus Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Izmir Port
      • Half Day Ephesus Tours
      • Full Day Ephesus Tours
      • Deluxe Half Day Ephesus Tours
      • Deluxe Full Day Ephesus Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Istanbul
      • Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary Tours
      • Ephesus Tours for Disabled
      • Ephesus and Terrace Houses Tours
      • Ephesus and Kirazli Village Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Cappadocia
      • Ephesus Tours From Antalya
      • Tandem Sky Diving at Ephesus
      • Microflight Tour Over Ephesus
      • Ephesus and Sirince Village Tours
      • Ephesus Tours From Kusadasi
      • Taxi from Kusadasi port to Ephesus
      • We Guarantee the Lowest Price on Private Ephesus Tours!
    • Istanbul Tours
      • Full Day Bosphorus Tours
      • Istanbul by Night: Turkish Dinner and Show
      • Half Day Classical Istanbul Tours
      • Full Day Private Istanbul Tours
      • Half Day Topkapi Palace Tours
      • Half Day Dolmabahce Palace Tours
      • Half Day Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace Tours
      • Istanbul Tours for Disabled
      • Half Day Istanbul Archeology Tours
      • Jewish Heritage Tours in Istanbul
      • Istanbul Shopping Tours
    • Cappadocia Tours
      • Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tours
      • North Cappadocia Tours and Goreme Museum
      • South Cappadocia and Kaymakli Underground City Tours
      • Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Cappadocia
      • Turkish Night Entertainment Show in Cappadocia
      • Cappadocia Tours From Istanbul
      • Cappadocia Turkish Bath (Hammam)
      • Cappadocia Horse Riding Tours
      • Cappadocia Trekking Tours
      • Nemrut Tours From Cappadocia
      • Cappadocia Mountain Biking Tours
      • Ihlara Canyon and Derinkuyu Underground City tours
    • Biblical Tours in Turkey
      • In The Footsteps of St Paul
      • Seven Churches of Revelation Tours
      • Jewish Heritage Tour in Turkey
      • Seven Churches and St. Nicholas
      • Early Churches of St. Paul and St. John
      • Seven Churches and Cave of Abraham
  • Private DMC
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Sitemap
Ephesus Tours Istanbul Tours Cappadocia Tours Biblical Tours Kusadasi Transfers

Underground Cistern, Istanbul

Home → Istanbul, Turkey → Underground Cistern, Istanbul

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
please wait...
Rating: 5.0/5 (8910 votes cast)

This is also known as the Yerebatan Sarayı, or Underground Cistern, Istanbul. It was originally constructed by that great builder, the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, on a site to be near the old palace. It was also known as the Basilica Cistern. It is one of the biggest of the Byzantine cisterns, being 140 metres by 70 metres (154 by 77 yards). It has no less than 336 columns, each 8 metres (about 26,5 it) high.

As in the equally famous Thousand and One Columns, no part of the pillars have remained in the ground. It is the only one of the old Byzantine cisterns which still contains water, which is brought from the reservoirs in the Forest of Belgrad. Electric light has been installed and it is possible to go for a row in it in a boat. It is one of the most impressive of all Byzantine remains, a fitting offset to the wonderful building of Justanian nearby, Aya Sofya, that is, Hagia Sofia.

Continuing from the Underground Cistern, Istanbul in the  direction  of the trams, we come to Hagia Sofya Place with the Aya Sofya Museum. To the south of the Museum is the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet. Here too we see the Obelisk and the Hippodrome Place, the Atmeydani, to-day the Place of Sultan Ahmet. And then, on the north side, there is the old Church of St. Irene, the Palace of Topkapi, the Topkapi Museum, the Museum of the Ancient East, the Archaeological Museum and the Tile Kiosk.

Istanbul Travel Guide

  • Bosphorus, Istanbul
  • Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora
  • Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul
  • Etz Ahayim Synagogue
  • Galata Tower, Istanbul
  • Golden Horn
  • Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
  • Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
  • Hippodrome, Istanbul
  • Istanbul Archaeology Museum
  • Istanbul Jewish Cemetery
  • Neve Shalom Synagogue, Istanbul
  • Spice Bazaar, Istanbul
  • Suleymaniye Mosque Istanbul
  • Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
  • Underground Cistern, Istanbul
  • Zulfaris Synagogue
  • Beylerbeyi Palace
  • Rumelihisari (Fortress)
  • Camlica Hill
  • Bosphorus Bridge
  • Istanbul Mosaic Museum
  • Church of the Holy Apostles
  • Eyup Mosque and Mausoleum
  • Beyazit Camii
  • Fatih Camii
  • Fethiye Camii “Pammakaristos Church”
  • Hagia Eirene
  • Orthodox Patriarchate and Cathedral
  • Sts Sergius and Bacchus
  • Yeni Camii
  • Zeyrek Camii “Church of the Pantocrator”
  • Prince’s Islands
  • Mosque of Rustem Pasha
  • Galata Bridge
  • Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
  • Miniatürk
  • Istanbul Modern Museum
  • Galata Mevlevihanesi
  • Pierre Loti
  • Istanbul, Turkish Baths
  • Walk through Istiklal Street
  • Tunnel
  • Military Museum
  • Port of Istanbul
  • City Walls of Istanbul
  • Maiden’s Tower
  • Harem
  • Tofre Begadim Synagogue
  • Yıldız Park
  • Bulgarian St. Stephen Church
  • Ahrida (Ohrid) Synagogue, Istanbul
  • Ashkenazi Synagogue, Istanbul
  • Balat, Istanbul
  • Blue Mosque, Istanbul
VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: +9188 (from 9188 votes)
Underground Cistern, Istanbul, 100% based on 9188 ratings
88 Reviews
  1. MANKG
    12:22 pm on August 25, 2010

    I was a little bit unhappy to go there but…believe me…it was soooooooooooooooooo nice underground! Nobody can believe that this was built hundreds of years before…You must see!

    Reply
  2. Sophie_divan
    2:41 pm on September 3, 2010

    This attraction peaked my curiosity due to an old James Bond, movie that was shot here back in the 60's, I believe. It is far more beautiful and stunning now with the restoration that has taken place and the lighting. The pattern of the pillars and size surprised me.

    Reply
  3. Judy_F
    11:42 pm on April 27, 2011

    This marvel of Roman architecture is a must see in Istanbul. It feels quite eerie to be under such a busy and noisy city, but it is a haven of peace, quiet and tranquility. The fish are especially fascinating.

    Reply
  4. David-Y
    5:52 am on May 18, 2011

    An absolute fascinating underground structure. It is a great site to walk though and think about how long ago it was constructed. It was also used as a scene for a James Bond movie.

    Reply
  5. DavidKeltner
    5:42 pm on August 8, 2011

    An awesome place to visit. Everyone should go visit this while in Istanbul. You need to read the new Dan Brown book Inferno before you go. It will make it much more interesting.

    Reply
  6. Tenighir
    3:15 am on November 28, 2011

    This is a must-see, as you can appreciate the centuries-old history of this place. Remnants of Roman temples were "recycled" to form the water cistern.

    Reply
  7. Allen_K
    5:48 am on March 22, 2012

    This is the magical place that indeed all of the other reviewers have described. It’s a must-see and is a good alternative when the nearby Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are too crowded.

    But I bet most visitors are disappointed in their pictures of it when they get home. Reason? They took flash pictures. If you really want to capture the beautiful dimly illuminated cistern, you need to hold your camera very still (tripod, or balanced securely on railing) and use a setting without flash. Read your camera instructions if you don’t know how to do this. Trust me. You won’t regret it.

    Reply
  8. Miss Isabelle
    9:01 pm on November 26, 2012

    The cistern will amaze because of its size. Those who may fear going underground or closed-in spaces need not be concerned. Crowds will move you along but the visit need not take more than a half-hour.

    Reply
  9. Amanda
    9:45 pm on January 24, 2013

    The cistern is underground and very cool and refreshing to get out of the humid air. The history is fascinating, don’t miss the Medusa heads and the reason they are upside down.

    Reply
  10. Femme13
    9:14 am on February 10, 2013

    Must see place. So cool.. In both meanings… Great ambiance.. Heart of history…Nice breeze.. Would be great in summer..

    Reply
Page 8 of 9«123456789»
Add New Reviews
Click here to cancel reply.

ephesus tours

The big tip is to try and go completely private. Many of the large tour companies offer private tour and they are going to charge a significant amount of money for the tour guide. However, many locations offer self-guided tours and therefore you have the ability to supply your own tour guide. Easily Book your guided private Ephesus tours, to see all the treasures of Ephesus Turkey. It's often said that Turkey has more ancient cities and classical ruins than does Greece. Well, it's true, and the Aegean coast holds a great number of sites, including Ephesus, the grandest and best-preserved of them all.

ephesustoursguide.com © 2013-2017 All Rights Reserved
Back to Top