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 indicated 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, and we will explore the Basilica Cistern!

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

During our exploration of the Submerged Palace, we will share facts about this interesting site, including the purpose of the water cisterns during the Roman Empire and their uses in the Ottoman Empire. We will pay special attention to two significant elements: the head of Medusa and the Weeping Column.

To conclude the visit, we will discuss the relationship this site has with Hollywood films filmed here, including James Bond, From Russia with Love and Inferno.

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