Hagia Sophia Mosque
933 reviews
May 3
Even just from the outside, Hagia Sophia is breathtaking. A true architectural marvel with deep historical significance. While I haven’t been inside yet, its exterior alone makes it worth the visit. There’s often some construction around, but it doesn’t take away from the majestic atmosphere.
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November 10, 2024
Very unpleasant staff! We went as a group of 10 adults and we were followed by a lady from the security, who was picking on absolutely everything: we were looking at the wrong way and standing in the wrong place, we were asked to move, while in the same aisle there was a huge group with a guide. And so the whole tour we were harassed, criticised and pressed. We were covered, did not break the rules, behaved culturally and talked quietly. In the end, the lady called the head of security, and then we couldn't stand it and got indignant. The lady was never able to explain what rules we had broken and what she didn't like. After paying 25 euros we were subjected to reprisals. This is not hospitable and absolutely inappropriate! Shame on you, security staff. Don't overstep your authority by hating people based on nationality or religion.
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March 19
No wonder it’s one of the wonders of the world
3
April 18
Mosque is in a very bad conditions and needs serious reconstruction, also prices for visit are very high.
December 13, 2024
So beautiful and historical place
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December 7, 2024
It’s a must visit place!
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January 22
Didn't get inside but the view is so magnificent. Will come again another day
3
March 13
Very Historic Mosque
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December 13, 2024
Magnificent
January 5
Beautiful!
3
August 19, 2024
So dangerous to be there. There are a lot of street sellers and pickpockets around.
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April 25
Perhaps the most iconic and iconic place to visit in Istanbul.
A grandiose monument of Byzantine architecture, Islam, Orthodoxy and Catholicism professed under one roof at different times. This is a unique place where one could see Arabic script and quotations from the Koran side by side with images of Orthodox saints.
I advise you to definitely take a guide in order to fully and fully understand the history and assess the scale of the torment and events that these walls have experienced.
As for me, the most incredible fact is that in Hagia Sophia there is the grave of Enrico Dandolo, the head of the Republic of Venice, who, at the age of 97 (!), being blind in one eye, took part in the crusade, the conquest of Constantinople, and also ordered the looting of St. Sophia Cathedral. Just imagine how much this cocky youngster disregarded his age.
Aya Sofia is a must-visit place, a place about which you want to absorb information and feel the spirit of history, which dates back centuries.
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3
April 1
We were there in 2020. St. Sophia's Cathedral made a great impression. This is a pearl with a deep history, be sure to visit if you come to Istanbul.
A bit of history:
Construction began in 532. A special feature of the project was a huge dome with a diameter of about 31 meters.
In 1204, the cathedral was looted and desecrated by the Crusaders and was turned into a Catholic church.
In 1261, the cathedral became Orthodox again.
In the 14th century, it was damaged by an earthquake, which required the restoration of the dome.
In 1453, the Hagia Sophia underwent significant changes, Sultan Mehmed II turned it into a mosque.
During the Ottoman Empire, four minarets were added to the architectural ensemble. Inside the cathedral, mosaics with Christian images were covered with plaster. Marble panels with Arabic inscriptions and a mihrab pointing towards Mecca were also installed. St. Sophia's Cathedral remained the main mosque of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years.
In the 19th century, during restoration work led by Swiss architects Gaspard and Giuseppe Fossati, some of the Christian mosaics were partially discovered and restored.
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January 18
St. Sophia Cathedral in Istanbul is an outstanding monument of Byzantine architecture, the former Greek Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral. For almost 1,000 years, it was the largest Orthodox church in the world and the center of religious life in the Byzantine Empire. In 1453, after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks, by order of Sultan Mehmed II, the temple was transformed into the Hagia Sophia Mosque.
After 2020, St. Sophia's Cathedral was restored to the status of an active mosque, but the building is still accessible to visitors. Entrance for tourists is paid 1,500 liras per person. Children under 8 years old are free of charge.
Near the entrance, you can meet Russian-speaking and English-speaking guides.
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November 13, 2024
A stunning cathedral, everything is very majestic inside, just a huge space that you want to consider. In 1453, the Ottoman troops who entered Constantinople looted St. Sophia Cathedral, then it was still Christian. But it was not completely destroyed, but converted into a mosque and named Aya‑Sophia. At the entrance to the mosque, shoes must be removed, there are special storage boxes. If possible, be sure to visit this legendary building, which is the greatest symbol of Istanbul.
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February 13
A very beautiful and historically valuable place)
However, there is expensive ice cream, if you go a little further away, it is much cheaper, and they squeeze the most delicious pomegranate juice there) I don't think I've tried it)
There are cafes on the opposite side - the food is so-so. The price is like in Milan)
It's better to take a 5-minute walk down towards the bay. It's very tasty there.
Anyone with children and a stroller is not comfortable there.
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March 16
It is a very beautiful and majestic place. A monument at the junction of two faiths. But the entrance for tourists is only on the 2nd floor for 25 euros (on the second floor there is a view to the 1st floor, and several frescoes are not in very good condition). At the same time (especially remembering our 2nd capital) I would like some kind of repair or restoration. It would be boring without a guide. There are also many Orthodox, ancient icons stored near Sofia, which are not on display.
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5
March 18
It was my dream to see Hagia Sophia. And I did it!!!! The view of the cathedral is amazing. It's a very magnificent building. It's even more beautiful in the evening light. And when we went inside, we were speechless from what we saw from the inside. That's where the centuries-old history is felt. A life hack for tourists: if you feel sorry for the entrance to the cathedral of 5 thousand for two, then come to the cathedral by 10 p.m. And they let you through without any problems. And even to the first floor. The entrance to the tour tickets is only on the second floor.
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2
April 9
Hagia Sophia is incredible! Majestic architecture, amazing history and amazing atmosphere. I really liked how different cultures and religions intertwine here – you can feel the connection of centuries. Be sure to visit, the impressions will remain for a lifetime! 🌍🕌✨
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11
April 11
A stunningly beautiful mosque is definitely the place to go. A wonderful attraction, the interior is clean, beautiful, cozy and peaceful. May God preserve it as a mosque forever! The story is fascinating!
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December 24, 2024
It is worth returning to Istanbul and visiting this mosque again. People of all nationalities notice Al Sofya for themselves. Perhaps everyone is comfortable in it. Spaciousness, grandeur, simplicity. People come here to pray, to feel the peace and power in this peaceful place. I don't want to leave, this is a paradise where you can hide from the hot sun and restore tourists' strength.
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March 17
Everyone knows that Catholics have St. Peter's Cathedral, the main center of world Catholicism in the Vatican, but few people know that the Orthodox had their main Cathedral, the center of world Orthodoxy in Constantinople (now Istanbul) St. Sophia's Cathedral, which is right in front of you. Today, this cathedral is the Mosque of Istanbul. But, despite this, the spirit of world Christianity, our spiritual roots, adopted by the Russians from the Byzantine Empire, is still felt in it. Moreover, after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turkic tribes who professed Islam, they began to build all their future Mosques in Istanbul and beyond on the basis of the very ancient Christian project of St. Sophia Cathedral, they really liked It, practically changing nothing except the creation of their minarets.
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April 20
The greatness of this building is immortalized in many scriptures! An incredible place, amazing interior decoration! Frescoes, mosaics, everything is amazing! In February, there was a very small queue at the entrance. It took us 2 hours inside to inspect the 2nd floor, but they wouldn't let us down.
Cats can enter without a ticket
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4
January 20
Great Sofia!! It's an incredibly beautiful place!! The second floor was opened for tourists, where the Orthodox frescoes are located. There are signs with a description next to each one, if there is a translator in the phone, I recommend using it and reading it! I recommend you to visit, despite the current price. In January 2024, it was 850lr.
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December 12, 2024
This is the heritage of mankind, as
- architectural building
- interior and decoration as an achievement of imaginative art and aesthetics
- as a place of inspiration and spiritual charging for people of all faiths (Muslim, Christian, Catholic, etc.)
, you always miss something from the outside and from the inside. And I always want to visit her again!!!
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January 3
A huge cathedral, nearby there are other shrines of Istanbul that are very beautiful, five minutes walk from the sea. I recommend it!! There are also many good small hotels and delicious restaurants nearby.
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3
March 11
A magnificent monument of Byzantine architectural art. If you have a good guide. The tour will be interesting and informative. It is a pity that it is not possible to examine all the mosaics. But the overall impression is a grandiose monument.
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3
April 26
An incredible place! The architecture is simply mesmerizing, and the atmosphere is difficult to describe in words. Inside, elements of Christianity and Islam are combined, and this adds uniqueness. The mosaics and domes are especially impressive, everything is so beautiful and majestic. It is definitely worth a visit if you are in Istanbul — you will feel the spirit of history and beauty.
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February 25
I will write not about the cathedral itself, but about the technique of visiting and the museum of its history, because all the enthusiastic reviews are correct and correspond to reality, but there are nuances.
Tickets for foreigners are sold on the right side of the cathedral. You can only buy a visit to the temple (it costs 1000 lire, which was not 25 euros, but 27-28), or you can buy the cathedral + the temple history museum (1800 lire). The entrance to the cathedral for tourists is next to the ticket office.
For 1000 liras, you can go up to the balcony and walk around the temple on the second floor. It usually takes 15-30 minutes. The first floor is accessible only to locals.
There are actually only 3 small sections of Orthodox mosaics, on the opposite side from the entrance.
A few words about the museum. In fact, it's multimedia! There are very few exhibits there. In fact, they assemble a mini-group and show in several clips about the creation of the temple and its history since 1453.
The ticket office actively advises taking tickets with the museum, but these expenses, in my opinion, are unnecessary. But if you don't know at all about the history of the temple, then it will be useful to visit the museum and it is better even before visiting the temple.
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April 27
Beautiful , interesting , but not humanly expensive . 2,200 lire per person . This is somewhere in the region of 4 tr for our wooden ones .
Plus, if you want to visit the chambers of Suleiman the Magnificent, that's another 2,500 lire per person, well, that 's too much. Although there are a lot of Europeans in the queue, yes.... there are also not small queues in front of the ticket offices to buy a ticket.
I smiled at one point, passing through the airport security at the entrance to the mosque))) realizing that we were Russians , we did not seize food like the rest of the visitors .
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April 10
The cathedral is very large and beautiful. It's breathtaking! The location is very convenient, near a busy square. Although, most likely, the square has a convenient location. I was impressed and satisfied. Who's in Istanbul-go, you won't regret it!
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November 13, 2024
This is one of the main attractions of Istanbul! A very beautiful mosque, breathtaking! I definitely recommend everyone to visit!!! You have to be there to feel all the greatness and beauty!
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February 1
The entrance to the balcony, from which you can view the cathedral's interior and see the mosaics, costs 25 euros in January 2025, but there is a caveat. At the ticket office you will be offered a ticket with a visit to the cathedral museum, it sounds tempting, we agreed. This ticket costs twice as much, and if Sofia is definitely worth any money, then the museum is a waste of time. It is located in the distance, on the square opposite the Blue Mosque. For your money, they will show a cartoon - you will move from room to room and listen with headphones and watch videos about the history of the cathedral. The cartoons are made in the spirit of blockbusters, and the text is very biased. The rest of the museum, after the cartoon, is a collection of things from different eras. Coins, books, icons, everything is rather chaotically assembled, we did not feel the depth. The signatures are quite lengthy, all in English. As a result, the museum is worth a cultural visit, to see how the Turks imagine the history of St. Sophia and the world. If it's not particularly interesting, then save your money.
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November 11, 2024
It's amazing!!!! after the cathedral, I advise you to go to the Hagia Sophia Museum, the entrance is opposite the German fountain at the hippodrome.
A unique place of its kind , striking to the depths of the soul .
Yes , it 's expensive !!!!! But it's worth it, the fantastic story of the temple and then the mosque.... Through the ages …
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December 30, 2024
I was deeply disappointed by visiting the mosque, 5 years ago it was an amazing museum and all the most interesting things were on the ground floor. Now it is an active mosque, the entrance to the ground floor is only for prayer-seekers. For Z0 €, you can only walk along the balcony of the 2nd floor, while you can not approach, there are restrictions on passage everywhere. It's just like the rest of the world lately. There is no more desire to come
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April 27
One of the most gorgeous attractions in Istanbul. My dream came true, and I went there. I was inspired by the TV series "Magnificent Century". There's a harem there, just like in the TV series. I recommend visiting this place and getting inspired by yourself.
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November 12, 2024
It's just a delight, for lovers of objects with a long history, it's a must-visit, the scale of construction is simply impressive! A huge vault! The place is really sacred, although lost to Christians, some of the frescoes were opened to tourists
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April 29
My beloved, the most beautiful, magical to the point of tears.
I recommend buying tickets online, because 50 euros (end of April 2025) is a combo with the museum of history and experience at the Racetrack, and there are basic Christian values. But if you only want to look from the gallery, wait, you'll save half. The audio guide is available via QR on the internal WiFi right at the entrance to the gallery, upstairs.
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November 12, 2024
Entrance is paid. There is a ticket for only this one mosque, there is a little more expensive, but to several locations and with an audio guide. They check at the ticket offices next to the entrance to the mosque. There are cashiers who can explain it quite well in Russian. There was no queue just before the opening. I don't remember the time. But the queues are moving fast. The males are not allowed in the mosque, go straight upstairs to the balconies. From there, you can see a little below. There are signs with explanations, we translated with an online translator. It's a nice translation, but mostly understandable. I recommend it at any time of the year.
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January 10
The grandiose structure is impressive both inside and out. Frescoes, mosaics, carpet, lamps. It's a pity that you can't go everywhere, the entrance to the 1st floor is free for Muslims to pray, tourists only go to the second floor for a fee. There is a Wi-Fi and a free audio guide in Russian (on the billboard at the entrance, you need to scan the quarkode and take your headphones.)
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May 2
Hagia Sophia impresses with the grandeur of Byzantine architecture and the centuries-old history reflected in its walls. The unique combination of Christian mosaics and Islamic elements from the period of the Ottoman Empire creates an atmosphere of cultural dialogue.
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February 24
This is a place worth visiting.
The ticket now costs 50 €, it is a ticket to visit the cathedral of the "Christian part of it" and the museum. You can choose a cathedral or a museum separately, the price is 25 € for each visit separately.
But I would recommend taking both, first go to the museum, there you will learn the whole story and it will be much more interesting to walk in the cathedral.
The place is majestic.
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October 17, 2024
A unique place. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is an outstanding monument of Byzantine and world architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium, which is sometimes called the "eighth wonder of the world". In 2020, by decision of the State Council of Turkey, it has the status of a mosque, while the second floor is still a museum. The entrance to the cathedral costs 25 euros. A truly historical architectural monument that united Muslims and Orthodox under its arches. I definitely recommend that you familiarize yourself with the history of this amazing place before visiting, then you will not need a guide. Thank you for your time!
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March 28
St. Sophia Cathedral cannot be described in words. You need to visit it. In a couple of decades, she will celebrate her one and a half thousandth anniversary. A symbol of the Christian faith, which, to my horror, has been turned into something completely foreign. You can't do that with history!
The cathedral needs urgent restoration. And I'm not talking about the exterior, but the interior.
What used to be brilliant, beautiful, and meaningful has now fallen into disrepair. Sad attempts to smear something somewhere will not save the majestic image.
It is very unpleasant to look at ancient mosaics that no one is trying to restore.
It's clear why, but this is world history!
Admission for March 2025 costs 1,750 liras for a balcony, where you can view Christian relics, and 3,740 liras (9,000 rubles) for the ground floor and balcony. For the record, admission to the Louvre this year costs 2,000 rubles, and it's free for children. Questions.
But you can't be in Istanbul and not go to Sofia. Her importance in history is worth it.
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March 1
I found a very good hotel in the old part. I arrived at 1 a.m. We waited and settled in. Everything is just fine. In the morning I walked around the city, had a delicious and satisfying meal for little money.
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February 13
There is a beautiful historical building outside. There are benches in the park and some in the shade. There is a toilet nearby, the entrance is on the Istanbul map.
Inside the queue, it is long and relatively expensive. I wasn't, I won't say anything...
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December 4, 2024
You get into it and it takes your breath away from the beauty and majesty!!!! The spirit of Sultans and sultans reigns there!!!! Under the competent story of the guide, you just get into these times!!!! We were in November 2024, to my great regret, the 1st floor of the mosque is closed directly to the passage, its beauty can only be viewed from the balconies of the second floor! The frescoes of the icons are very well preserved, the faces of the saints are energizing! But, big but!!!!! The price this year is just incredibly high - 1,690 litas for one!!!!
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December 25, 2024
It's an amazing place. Now the second floor is completely reserved for tourists. The first floor is a mosque. The streams of worshippers and tourists are separated by different entrance groups, which is very convenient. Audio guides on the Byzantine and Ottoman periods are available by QR code, including in Russian. I definitely recommend it.
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March 20
A magnificent human possession. Very beautiful inside and out. But the way inside is not particularly open for tourists. Mostly for believers only. But you can also try to pass as believers.
For tourists, there is a separate entrance for one small fresco for 25 euros.…
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April 15
Of all the religious buildings I know (and I've seen a lot of them) Hagia Sophia left the most amazing impression. It is impossible to imagine that this cathedral (now a mosque) was built 1,500 years ago. Everything is amazing: the gigantic volume of the building, the height of the dome, and the Byzantine mosaics (now partially hidden, after the status change of the temple). And even the fact that it is open for free access around the clock... But now it is necessary to take off your shoes before entering, leaving them in lockers on special shelves. It's okay: the floor is covered with a huge green carpet of perfect cleanliness, and no one will touch your shoes...
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