,url-https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripexpert.com%2Fimages%2Fmarker-fade%402x.png(28.95804,41.01289)/28.967975042760372,41.01064011317643,14.13542195381465/1280x214@2x?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoidHJpcGV4cGVydHdlYiIsImEiOiJja2Fud3l2MDcwbXZ0MndyeGF3eGI3ZWhzIn0.zLqNa1RECyZZadF8zfQM5w)
Basilica CisternvsSehzade Mehmet Mosque
Both Basilica Cistern and Sehzade Mehmet Mosque are rated highly by reviewers writing for major publications. On balance, Sehzade Mehmet Mosque is the choice of most writers compared to Basilica Cistern. Sehzade Mehmet Mosque scores 84 with approval from 4 sources like Fodor's, Lonely Planet and Michelin Guide.
Basilica Cistern
Fodor's
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
Let's Go
Time Out
Afar Magazine
Michelin Guide Travel + Leisure
Imran Oktem Cad. No:4 D:5 Sultanahmet, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey
From $0/night
Fodor's "A journey through this ancient underground waterway takes you along dimly lit walkways that weave around 336 marble columns rising 26 feet to support Byzantine arches and domes." Full review
i
Come early to avoid the long lines and have a more peaceful visit.
Lonely PlanetTop choice
"When those Byzantine emperors built something, they certainly did it properly!" Full review
Travel + Leisure "Eighty-two feet below Istanbul is a 450-foot-long, 213-foot-wide former royal reservoir." Full review
Let's Go "Built more than 1400 years ago under the direction of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian—the same guy responsible for the Hagia Sophia—this underground cistern once stored water for the whole city." Full review
Time Out "One of Istanbul's most intriguing attractions." Full review
Afar Magazine "A city as ancient as Istanbul has many layers of history, and you’ll have to go below the surface to see the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the underground cisterns." Full review
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"What the Ottomans called Yerebatan Sarayi (Sunken Palace) is in fact a 6C Byzantine underground cistern that supplied water to the palace of Emperor Justinian." Full review
Travel + Leisure "The primary water reservoir for Constantinople, the Basilica Cistern is cathedral-esque and a sight to see...it is supported by 336 columns and can hold up to 17.5 million gallons of water."
25 Best Things to Do in Istanbul
September 28, 2023
Sehzade Mehmet Mosque Fodor's Lonely Planet Michelin Guide
Frommer's
Sehzadebasi Cad., Vefa, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey
From $0/night
Fodor's "The medium-sized Şehzade Camii was built for Süleyman the Magnificent's eldest son, Prince Mehmet, who died of smallpox in 1543 at age 22." Full review
Lonely Planet "Süleyman the Magnificent built this mosque between 1543 and 1548 as a memorial to his son, Mehmet, who died of smallpox in 1543 at the age of 22." Full review
Michelin Guide 3 Stars
"Perched on the third hill of Istanbul, the elegant silhouette of Suleyman's mosque rises gracefully towards the sky, via a magnificent profusion of domes." Full review
Frommer's "What was at the time considered a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture is now merely a footnote to Sinan's subsequent great works." Full review
