Editing Basilica Cistern (section)

== Legal status and conservation framework ==
The Basilica Cistern is part of the "Historic Areas of Istanbul," a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.<ref name="UNESCO1985">{{cite web |title=Historic Areas of Istanbul |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |year=1985 |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/356 }}</ref> Nationally, it is protected under Turkey’s Law No. 2863 on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property as a 1st-degree archaeological site.<ref name="Republic1983">{{cite web |title=Law No. 2863 on the Conservation of Cultural and Natural Property |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey |year=1983 |url=https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=2863&MevzuatTur=1&MevzuatTertip=5 }}</ref>

This classification restricts permanent alterations and mandates that all interventions be reversible and approved by the Istanbul No. 1 Cultural Heritage Preservation Board.<ref name="Republic1983" /> In 2011, the board ordered the restriction of heavy vehicle traffic near the site to mitigate vibration-related damage.<ref name="Goksu2018" />