Türkiye closes Basilica Cistern in Istanbul following court ruling

The Basilica Cistern — one of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions — was closed to visitors on June 2 following a court ruling transferring the site to the Directorate General of Foundations under Türkiye’s Ministry of Tourism, according to the Cumhuriyet newspaper.

The outlet reported that the site was closed around 10:00 a.m. local time, by which point a queue of tourists had already formed outside the entrance.

The cistern will reportedly remain closed until new ticketing systems are installed by the new managing authority.

Previously, the historic structure was administered by the Istanbul municipality and had been restored using municipal funds.

The Basilica Cistern, located in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district near Hagia Sophia, is an underground water reservoir built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian.

Today it functions as a cultural venue and concert space and has also appeared in various works of fiction and films, including the finale of the thriller Inferno, based on Dan Brown’s novel.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov