Historic sites

Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

Turkey İstanbul Fatih

Basilica Cistern, Istanbul
Photo: Nan Palmero, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A vast underground Byzantine water reservoir built in the 6th century, with 336 marble columns rising from the water, dimly lit, and two Medusa heads used as column bases. It now hosts art installations.


It's next to Hagia Sophia. Evening visits are quieter.

Comments

No comments yet.

More tips nearby

All tips for Turkey
Historic sites

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Fatih, İstanbul

Built as a cathedral by the Byzantine emperor Justinian in 537, later a mosque, then a museum, and again a mosque since 2020, with a vast dome that s…

Buildings

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), Istanbul

Fatih, İstanbul

Built between 1609 and 1616, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is famous for its six minarets, its cascading domes and the more than 20,000 blue İznik tiles th…

Historic sites

Topkapı Palace, Istanbul

Fatih, İstanbul

The palace of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, on a point above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, with courtyards, pavilions tiled in Iznik…

Shopping

Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Fatih, İstanbul

One of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, begun in 1461.

Tours and activities

Bosphorus ferry cruise, Istanbul

Fatih, İstanbul

The strait dividing Europe from Asia, lined with palaces, Ottoman wooden mansions (yalı) and fortresses.

Food and drink

Kebapçı İskender, Bursa

Bursa

The restaurant where İskender kebab was invented, run by the same family since 1867.