A Turkish court has for a second time suspended the transfer of Istanbul’s Yerebatan Sarnıcı, also known as the Basilica Cistern, from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to the state-run General Directorate of Foundations, deepening a dispute over control of one of the city’s most visited historical attractions.
The latest ruling was issued by the 8th Administrative Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court following a legal challenge over the handover process. The decision temporarily pauses the transfer while court proceedings continue.
The controversy intensified after municipal authorities evacuated the underground cistern and dismantled ticket booths as the transfer process moved forward earlier this week. The attraction was temporarily closed to visitors while administrative control shifted to the General Directorate of Foundations, which is affiliated with Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Yerebatan Sarnıcı is one of Istanbul’s most important tourist landmarks, attracting millions of domestic and international visitors each year. Built in 542 A.D. during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, the underground cistern is famous for its towering columns, atmospheric lighting and Medusa head sculptures.
The site underwent a major restoration project completed in 2022 under the administration of former Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The renovation, carried out by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality heritage teams, reportedly cost around €13 million and included seismic reinforcement and structural conservation works.
According to municipal officials, the restored attraction welcomed more than 11 million visitors after reopening.
Osman Cenk Akın, General Manager of IBB Kültür AŞ, said a ticket campaign introduced for Turkish citizens on 18 April had brought 500,000 local visitors to the cistern before the transfer process began.
“We really managed it well,” said Osman Cenk Akın, according to comments carried by local media.
Akın also said the legal process surrounding the ownership and management of the attraction was continuing, but the municipality proceeded with the handover after receiving an official notification on 2 June.
The roots of the dispute date back to April 2026, when ownership records for the cistern were reportedly transferred to the General Directorate of Foundations. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality challenged the process in court, arguing that the transfer lacked proper legal basis and administrative notification.
An earlier stay of execution was issued on 9 May by the Istanbul 8th Administrative Court concerning the evacuation order. The latest ruling now marks the second judicial intervention delaying the transfer.
The case has attracted wider public attention because of the Basilica Cistern’s role in Istanbul’s tourism economy and broader political tensions surrounding the management of historic sites in the city.
The dispute also follows previous ownership controversies involving prominent Istanbul landmarks including Galata Tower and Gezi Park, both of which became subjects of legal and administrative battles in recent years.
Tour operators and tourism businesses are closely monitoring developments because the cistern remains one of the city’s most visited cultural attractions, particularly among international travellers visiting the historic Sultanahmet district.
For now, the court’s latest suspension order pauses the transfer once again, but the long-term management of the Basilica Cistern remains unresolved as legal proceedings continue.
