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Basilica Cistern vs Topkapi Palace
Both Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern are rated very highly by professional reviewers writing for major publications. On balance, Topkapi Palace ranks significantly better than Basilica Cistern. Topkapi Palace comes in at #1 in Istanbul with praise from 8 reviews including Concierge, Let's Go and Frommer's.
Basilica Cistern
Fodor's
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
Let's Go
Time Out
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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 Planet
Top 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
Topkapi Palace
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Let's Go
Michelin Guide
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Babıhümayun Caddesi , Istanbul, Turkey
From $0 /night
Fodor's
"Few other royal residences match this hilltop compound when it comes to mystery, intrigue, and the lavish intricacies of court life."
Full review
Concierge
"If you're stuck for time, limit yourself to the main palace and the harem, the most intimate and personal rooms used by the sultans and their many, many women."
i
Avoid going on weekends or during peak periods of the day so you miss the busloads of people who move in flocks around the grounds in a veritable babel of chattering languages.
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"This opulent palace complex is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's royal residences put together."
Full review
Let's Go
"The views are luxurious, the buildings overwhelmingly crafted, and the treasures outrageous. "
Full review
Michelin Guide
3 Stars
"In the harem of Topkapi Palace visitors are plunged into a mythical Orient of a thousand and one treasures and as many fantasies."
Full review
i
Visit the unmissable Treasury and its masterpiece: a 250kg solid gold throne encrusted with diamonds and emeralds.
