Basilica Cistern Guided Tour

On this tour of the Basilica Cistern, we'll visit this authentic gem in Istanbul and see how its columns store water. Welcome to the Submerged Palace!

Basilica Cistern Tour

At the indicated time, we'll meet at Busphours Double Decker Bus Station and start a tour that will take us underneath Istanbul. The Basilica Cistern is an underground palace waiting to be explored.

Located in the historic center of Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern dates back to 532 and was built under Emperor Justinian I to provide clean drinking water to Santa Sofia. Once inside, we'll appreciate its 336 columns, arranged along continuous passages.

During our exploration of the Submerged Palace, we will share various facts about this site, including the function of water cisterns during the Roman Empire and their uses during the Ottoman Empire. We will also highlight two significant features: the head of Medusa and the Weeping Column.

To conclude the visit, we'll discuss the connections between this site in Istanbul and Hollywood films filmed here, including James Bond, From Russia with Love, and Inferno.

After exploring the Basilica Cistern for 25 minutes, we'll conclude this guided tour.