ISTANBUL, June 2 – Trend Wire. The Basilica Cistern, one of Istanbul’s most popular attractions, has been closed to the public for an indefinite period since Tuesday, the General Directorate of Waqfs told Trend Wire.
In April, it became known that the landmark was transferred by court decision from the Istanbul City Hall to the control of the General Directorate of Waqfs. Soon after this, entry for Turkish citizens became almost free – a ticket cost 1 lira (1.5 rubles), for foreigners entry still cost almost 50 dollars.
On Tuesday, the bailiffs gave representatives of the mayor’s office a notice of the need to vacate the premises.
“At the moment, the Basilica Cistern is closed to visitors for an indefinite period. The situation has not yet become clear,” the department told Trend Wire.
Queues of foreigners and locals to the attraction do not end almost every day.
Acting Mayor of Istanbul Nuri Aslan previously said that the mayor’s office will seek through the courts to cancel the transfer of the facility. The cistern was restored at the expense of the budget of the mayor’s office, headed by opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been under arrest since March 2025 in connection with several criminal cases.
Another extremely popular attraction among tourists, the Galata Tower, came under the control of the General Directorate of Waqfs in 2019.
Source: Ria