Hagia Sophia
Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi
A Byzantine domed marvel completed in 537, successively an Eastern Orthodox cathedral, a mosque and a museum. It became a mosque again in 2020, and visitors tour it from the second-floor gallery.
Hagia Sophia was built by Emperor Justinian I between 532 and 537. Its giant dome, 31 metres in diameter and 55 metres high, seems to hang in the air. For nearly a thousand years, it was the largest church in the world. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453 it was converted into a mosque and a minaret was added. It became a museum in 1935, was turned back into a mosque in 2020, and since 2024 has charged foreign visitors and separated their route. Visitors enter through a dedicated entrance on the southwest side and go up a ramp to the second-floor gallery. The ground-floor prayer hall is open only to worshippers. From the gallery, you can look down over the whole hall. Highlights include the famous Byzantine mosaics: the Deësis mosaic of Christ, the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist in the south gallery; the mosaic of Empress Zoë and Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos offering gifts; the six-winged seraphim on the north wall; the 9th-century runic graffiti carved by Viking guards; the porphyry disc at the coronation site; and the huge Arabic calligraphy roundels hanging overhead. Entry costs €25 for foreigners, including an audio guide. You can buy tickets on site or online. Children under 8 enter free. It is not included in the Museum Pass. A visit takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. The building stands across the square from the Blue Mosque, and Sultanahmet station on Tram Line T1 is a 3-minute walk away. Visitors must cover their shoulders and knees, and women must wear headscarves (provided at the entrance). Entry is suspended during the five daily prayer times, so try to avoid Fridays. The Hagia Sophia Historical Experience (separate ticket) is next to the square and is optional.
Opening hours
09:00–19:30 (paused during prayer times; closed for longer around 13:00 on Fridays)
Nearby sights
- Blue Mosque
- Hagia Irene
- Basilica Cistern
- Istanbul Archaeology Museums
- Gülhane Park
- Hippodrome of Constantinople
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- Topkapi Palace