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TurkeyWhat to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting
Cistern Of Theodosius (Šerefiye Sarnıcı) - another ancient underground reservoir to provide the city with fresh water, available for tourists to visit. It was built between 428 and 443 years, i.e. now the building is almost 1600 years old!
It is not so popular and is known as Basilica Cistern, since it was opened to the public only in 2018, but it is a UNESCO site. Moreover, you can visit it completely free of charge. Sometimes there are exhibitions of contemporary artists, concerts. It is not very large, but very well lit, and the columns are reinforced with metal hoops, which look very nice. You can go to the pillars farthest from the entrance and touch them. You will feel that they are wet, and you will see that the whole floor here is covered with a layer of water. At the entrance, near the guard, you can take a free booklet in English with a description of the history of the tank.
🌐 Website: https://www.serefiyesarnici.istanbul/en
🕐 Working hours
09:00-18:00, Sunday 09:00-15:00, seven days a week. Sometimes concerts are held here, during which it is closed to the public (only with concert tickets). You can find out about the schedule of concerts on the official website.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
free.
🚶 How to get there
the cistern is located in Sultanahmet tourist area at 23 Piyer Loti Caddesi Street (cistern on the map. The entrance to it is made in the form of a building made of glass in The Shape of a cube. You can take the T1 tram to Sultanahmet stop, and 5 minutes on foot.
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