# Basilica Cistern, Turkey: what it is and when to go > Basilica Cistern is a cistern of Byzantine Constantinople (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) in Turkey (Istanbul). Interests: History. The best time to visit is April to June and September to October. In June there are 14 h 56 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 04. It has articles in 38 Wikipedias: it is one of the fifty best-known places in Turkey on this site. Here is what it is, where it lies, when to come, how to get there and what else is nearby to turn it into a trip. - Address: https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/basilica-cistern/ - Reviewed on: 2026-10-08 - Language: en ## In a nutshell - **What it is:** Cistern of Byzantine Constantinople · History - **Local name:** Yerebatan Sarnıcı - **Where:** Turkey · Yerebatan Caddesi 1, 34110, İstanbul - **Best time:** April to June and September to October. - **Nearest airport:** SAW Pendik, Istanbul, 30 km as the crow flies - **Opening hours:** Mo-Su 09:00-19:00 - **Website:** [yerebatansarnici.com](http://yerebatansarnici.com/) - **Coordinates:** 41.00848, 28.97838 ## What it is and where Basilica Cistern is a cistern of Byzantine Constantinople (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) in Turkey (Istanbul). It has articles in 38 Wikipedias: it is one of the fifty best-known places in Turkey on this site. It is in [Istanbul](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/estambul/), where this site lists 189 more places to see, 11 km from the centre. Its coordinates are 41.00848, 28.97838; the nearest main airport is Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW, Pendik, Istanbul), 30 km as the crow flies. How to get around Turkey (train, car, bus) is covered in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/#moverse). - [Where it is](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=41.00848%2C28.978383) - [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=41.00848%2C28.978383) It is one of the [History](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/historia/) places in Turkey. In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) it is already on your trip map next to the places you save yourself, and it goes into a day's plan with one tap. ## When to go The best time to visit Basilica Cistern is **April to June and September to October**. | Mes | Época | Hours of daylight | | --- | --- | --- | | January | Possible | 9 h 22 | | February | Possible | 10 h 25 | | March | Possible | 11 h 40 | | April | Best time | 13 h 06 | | May | Best time | 14 h 18 | | June | Best time | 14 h 56 | | July | Possible | 14 h 40 | | August | Possible | 13 h 38 | | September | Best time | 12 h 15 | | October | Best time | 10 h 52 | | November | Possible | 9 h 39 | | December | Possible | 9 h 04 | In June there are 14 h 56 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 04. Daylight hours are calculated from the site's latitude for the 15th of each month; when planning a full day on foot they matter as much as the weather. When to go to Turkey in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/#cuando-ir). ## Before you go to Turkey To enter Turkey there are 9 things to sort out before you leave, starting with “Spanish ID card (DNI) or passport with plenty of validity”: they are all, with their deadlines, in [the Turkey checklist](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/#antes-de-salir). Currency: Turkish lira (TRY); plugs: Type C and F · 230 V · 50 Hz (the same plug as in Spain); emergencies: 112 for everything (the same number as in the EU). In [Kokai](https://kokai.app/en/) you tick off the checklist inside your trip, and each item reminds you when it is time to do it. ## What is nearby - [Milion](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/the-stone-of-million/): Byzantine mile-marker monument in Constantinople · 55 m - [Hagia Sophia](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/santa-sofia/): Mosque, museum, and former church in Istanbul, Turkey · 136 m - [Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/ayasofya-hurrem-sultan-hamami/): Hot spring bath · 157 m - [Hagia Sophia Hurrem Sultan Bathhouse](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/haseki-hurrem-hammam/): 16th-century hammam in Istanbul, Turkey · 175 m - [German Fountain](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/fuente-alemana/): Commemorative fountain in Istanbul · 209 m Distances are as the crow flies. Everything else is in [the Turkey guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/). ## More in Turkey: History - [Troy](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/sitio-arqueologico-de-troya/): ancient Homeric-era city in northwest Asia Minor; it is known as the setting for the Greek myth of the Trojan war - [Temple of Artemis](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/temple-of-artemis-artemision/): temple in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - [Ephesus](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/efeso/): ancient Greek city in Anatolia - [Mausoleum at Halicarnassus](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/mausoleum-at-halicarnassus/): one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - [Blue Mosque, Istanbul](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/mezquita-azul/): historic mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey, also known as Blue Mosque - [Bayburt Province](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/bayburt-kalesi/): province in northeastern Turkey Every Turkey place under History, each with its season, is on [its page](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/historia/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is Basilica Cistern? It is a cistern of Byzantine Constantinople (Yerebatan Sarnıcı in the local language) in Turkey. It has articles in 38 Wikipedias: it is one of the fifty best-known places in Turkey on this site. ### When is the best time to visit Basilica Cistern? April to June and September to October. In June there are 14 h 56 of daylight, and in December, 9 h 04. ### How do you get to Basilica Cistern? The nearest main airport is Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), 30 km as the crow flies. From there, [directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=41.00848%2C28.978383) opens the route on the map, and how to get around Turkey is explained in [its country guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/#moverse). ### How do I add it to my trip? With one tap. In Kokai it is already on the Turkey map, next to the places you save yourself: add it to a day's plan, give it a time and, if you like, get a reminder when you pass nearby. ### What else is around here? Nearby you have [Milion](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/the-stone-of-million/), [Hagia Sophia](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/santa-sofia/), [Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/ayasofya-hurrem-sultan-hamami/). The rest is in [the Turkey guide](https://kokai.app/en/paises/africa-y-oriente-medio/turquia/). Data from [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/11006008339), licensed under the ODbL, and from [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q216511), CC0. More about Basilica Cistern on [Wikipedia](https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerebatan_Sarn%C4%B1c%C4%B1). Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in [credits](https://kokai.app/en/aviso/#creditos).