Nakilbent Cistern: visiting the Byzantine cistern in Sultanahmet
The Nakilbent Cistern is a Byzantine water tank from the 5th or 6th century hidden beneath a carpet shop on Nakilbent Street, about a hundred metres south of the Hippodrome. Unlike the Basilica Cistern, it has no queue and no ticket office: according to the sources we consulted, entry is free, and you go down through the shop. Allow 20 to 30 minutes, easily squeezed between two Sultanahmet visits.
Highlights
The hall of columns
The cistern measures roughly 9 m by 34 m and originally had two rows of 9 marble columns. Nine columns still have their original Corinthian capitals; the others are held up by brick piers.
The brick vaults
Seven of the 18 columns were reinforced with brick piers in the Ottoman period, and the vaulted roof dates from the same time. Remains of the original staircase survive in the north corner.
The exhibitions
The owner uses the hall for exhibitions and concerts. It has hosted an exhibition on the Hippodrome, taken from the Pera Museum's 2010 show; the programme changes, so ask what is on.
A history still debated
Some date it to the 5th century, others to the reign of Justinian (527-565); it may have supplied the Great Palace of Constantinople or the nearby Hippodrome. Sources disagree, so we give no firm date.
Practical info
Tips
- The cistern is privately owned: it is the basement of the Nakkaş carpet shop, which remains a business. You can go down without buying anything; politely declining a carpet offer is enough. No official price is published: the sites we consulted (October 2026) say entry is free, with no fare on an official site. The staircase is narrow and the floor can be slippery. To compare with the big cisterns, see the Basilica Cistern, the Binbirdirek Cistern and the Theodosius Cistern. Also read: the Hippodrome of Constantinople and the Sultanahmet district. For the Basilica Cistern, a fast-track ticket with audio guide can be booked online; the Nakilbent has no ticket to book.
How to get there
Nakilbent Street, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Istanbul, beneath the Nakkaş shop. T1 tram stop Sultanahmet, then about 5 to 10 minutes' walk south around the sphendone of the Hippodrome; the address is easy to find on an online map by typing "Nakkaş Nakilbent".
Opening hours
Nearby
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