Inferno · Place in the book
Basilica Cistern
In the story · The finale
The "sunken palace" of the riddle: Yerebatan Sarnıcı, a Byzantine water cistern under the city, a forest of 336 columns over dark water, with two Medusa heads at the back. The finale takes place here, during a concert of Liszt's Dante Symphony. The 2016 film did not shoot these scenes here: to protect the cistern, they were filmed on a full-size copy built on a set in Budapest.
Where to stay nearby
Book a hotel hereMap with prices from several sites
or on Booking.com- With this place
- Day by day
- Free
Are you here?
The ticket for the scene
Tickets: Basilica Cistern
You need a ticket to go in. On GetYourGuide you pick the day and time: there is often a queue.
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More to do here
Things to doIstanbul: all activities on GetYourGuide
The link opens the destination's catalogue, not a tour made for the story →
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More Inferno places nearby
Hagia Sophia140 m away · 2 min on foot
Istanbul University gate, Beyazıt Square1.2 km away · 16 min on foot
Famous places nearby
Not places of the story, but worth the walk.
Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square)
320 m away · 4 min on footThe old Byzantine racetrack, now a square with an Egyptian obelisk and fountains.
Blue Mosque
370 m away · 5 min on footA huge Ottoman mosque with six minarets and blue Iznik tiles inside.
Gülhane Park
500 m away · 7 min on footA leafy park below the palace walls, with tulips in spring and shady paths.
Where to stand for the photo
Walk to the back of the cistern and frame one of the Medusa heads at the foot of its column, lit from below and reflected in the water.
Getting there
- Address: Alemdar, Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul
- Transport
- In Istanbul, a 3 minute walk from Hagia Sophia. Nearest stop: tram T1 Sultanahmet.
- Access
- Ticket needed, with long queues in the middle of the day. It is dim and damp inside: walkways only.
Public sources (3)
Sources found on October 19, 2026.
Every place checked against public sources
Production · film commissions · tourist boards · guides
We always say if it is:
- The real filming location
- A place standing in for it
- Inspired by the story
Where to eat nearby
Tarihi Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta
130 m away · 2 min on footTurkish€Meatball house on Divanyolu founded in 1920, a walk from Beyazıt Square, seen in Inferno
Deraliye
210 m away · 3 min on footTurkish€€€Ottoman style dining room in Sultanahmet serving meze and lamb in clay pots, listed in the Michelin Guide
Seven Hills Restaurant
260 m away · 3 min on footseafood€€€Rooftop seafood terrace of the Seven Hills Hotel, looking over Hagia Sophia from Inferno
Part of the trip
Every place checked against public sources
Production · film commissions · tourist boards · guides
We always say if it is:
- The real filming location
- A place standing in for it
- Inspired by the story
Every place checked against public sources
Production · film commissions · tourist boards · guides
We always say if it is:
- The real filming location
- A place standing in for it
- Inspired by the story