Basilica Cistern Guided Tour

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

Basilica Cistern Tour

At the specified time, we will meet at Busphours Double Decker Bus Station and start a tour that will take us underneath Istanbul. The city is hiding a palace underground. Let's explore the Basilica Cistern!

Located in the historic centre of Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern dates back to 532 and was built under Emperor Justinian I to provide clean drinking water to Santa Sofia. Inside, we will admire its 336 columns, distributed along never-ending passages.

As we explore the Submerged Palace, we will share facts about this interesting site, including the purpose of these water cisterns during the Roman Empire and their uses during the Ottoman Empire. We will highlight 2 significant elements of the Basilica Cistern: the head of Medusa and the Weeping Column. We will discuss their significance.

To conclude the visit, we will explain the connection between this tourist site in Istanbul and Hollywood films filmed here, such as James Bond, From Russia with Love, and Inferno.

After exploring the Basilica Cistern for 25 minutes, we will end this guided tour.