Hagia Sophia is among the most popular historical artifacts in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia, which has served as a museum for many years, was converted into a mosque again in 2020. Thus, Hagia Sophia entrance fee and opening hours have also changed.
Hagia Sophia is located in Sultanahmet, Istanbul’s most touristic district. This 1500-year-old historical monument is visited by an average of 3 million people annually. In this article, you can find the details you need to know when visiting Hagia Sophia.
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Useful Information About Hagia Sophia
You can find useful information about Hagia Sophia in the following lines. As a tourist guide in Istanbul, I tried to bring together the things that visitors are most curious about.
1. When Was Hagia Sophia Built?
Hagia Sophia was built as a church in 537. It was the most important church of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. It was built for Justinian, the most famous emperor of Byzantium, by two architects named Anthemius and Isidore.
2. Why Is Hagia Sophia So Important?
Hagia Sophia was a revolutionary building considering the early church architecture. Roman churches were modeled after the Basilica, an ancient Roman structure. There would be no flashy domes in these structures.
Hagia Sophia was the first Roman church to have a giant round dome. It was only during the Renaissance that domes of this size were built in Europe. Hagia Sophia had achieved this 1000 years ahead. Therefore, Hagia Sophia is very important in world architectural history.
3. When Did Hagia Sophia Become a Mosque?
Hagia Sophia became a mosque in 1453 when the Ottomans conquered Constantinople. Hagia Sophia, which served as a mosque until the 1900s, remained a museum for about 90 years during the republic period.
Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque again with a decision taken in 2020. For this reason, there is no longer a need to buy tickets at the entrance. Anyone can worship in it or visit it to explore the building.
4. How Much is Hagia Sophia Entrance Fee?
The entrance fee to Hagia Sophia was 100 Turkish Liras before it was converted into a mosque. However, you no longer have to pay at the entrance. Hagia Sophia visit is free like other mosques in Istanbul.
After visiting Hagia Sophia, you can visit the adjacent Sultan Tombs free of charge. The interior decoration of these mausoleums carries works from 16th century Ottoman architecture. Especially the ceilings decorated with Iznik tiles and wooden works inlaid with mother-of-pearl are worth seeing.
5. What Day is Hagia Sophia Closed?
When Hagia Sophia was a museum, it was closed on Mondays. This information still exists in un-updated guidebooks, but is no longer valid. Hagia Sophia is open every day of the week.
6. Hagia Sophia Opening Hours 2021
Hagia Sophia opening hours are between 09:00 in the morning and 17:00 in the evening. However, since it is a mosque, it is temporarily closed to touristic visits during prayer hours.
You can follow the opening and closing times of mosques in Istanbul from the table on this link. Mosques are usually closed for prayer 1 hour before the prayer and opened 30 minutes after the prayer.
For example, if we assume that the noon prayer is at 13:00, the mosque will close at 12:00 and open at 13:30. The best time to visit Hagia Sophia is 3 hours after it opens at 09:00 in the morning.
7. How to Get to There?
In order to get to the Hagia Sophia from Taksim Square, you can first take the Funicular F1 to Kabatas. Funicular F1 is inside the metro station in Taksim Square.
You can take Tram T1 from Kabatas Tram Station to Sultanahmet. This journey will take approximately 15 minutes. During the tram ride, you will see touristic places such as Galata Bridge and Spice Bazaar.
In order to get to the Hagia Sophia from Sultanahmet, it is enough to find well-known spots such as Sultanahmet Square or Sultanahmet Tram Stop. With its distinctive architecture, Hagia Sophia will be in your view from these points.
8. Are the Mosaics in Hagia Sophia open?
Yes, the mosaics in Hagia Sophia are open. Hagia Sophia mosaics are covered only during prayer times and are opened for visitors to see during the rest of the time.
The mosaics inside Hagia Sophia are dated between the 9th century and the 13th century. It reflects the religious art of the Byzantine Empire. You can also review this post for more information on these mosaics.
9. How to Take a Guided Tour?
You can make a reservation from this link to take a guided tour of Hagia Sophia. Tours are organized under the guarantee of GetYourGuide, an international travel platform.
Participants of this tour meet with their guides at the entrance of Hagia Sophia and enter quickly. If you tour with a guide, you will discover many things that you could not learn by yourself.
10. Where to Stay in Sultanahmet
Sultanahmet district, where Hagia Sophia is located, is full of beautiful boutique hotels. There are many historical buildings that have been converted into hotels with the restoration of Ottoman mansions.
In order to decide where to stay in Sultanahmet, you can check out the best hotels in Sultanahmet post. Sultanahmet is also the place where traditional Turkish cuisine is best represented in Istanbul. The best restaurants in Sultanahmet post can help you find the best cafes and restaurants in the area.
Written by Serhat Engul
What a pity that Hagia Sophia has ceased to be a place where anyone can enter and feel the beauty that God inspired to the architects as it has been for the last century, to become a place belonging to muslims while the rest of people will be the defeated ones in a battle that happened five centuries ago.
Hello Martu, you may think that Hagia Sophia should have remained as a museum. Many citizens in Turkey have the same opinion. But it seems that you misunderstood something: Anyone can visit Hagia Sophia. It will be closed only during prayer hours. Except for the prayer times, everyone can visit and it’s free! No major changes were made in terms of architecture. In other words, architects can still visit Hagia Sophia and be inspired.
This is a real shame. How can people plan a visit around all these restrictions? An hour before and a half hour after the pray times very day? And forget Fridays! I have also read that the mosaics are still covered with sheets. I know this is not your fault. It makes Turkey look ridiculous, and it is taking away from the world’s ability to see a beautiful and historic structure.
I would have preferred Hagia Sophia to remain as a museum. However, Hagia Sophia has become a mosque now and I am giving information about how to visit under current conditions. The time interval that Hagia Sophia can be visited is the same as the Blue Mosque. Since Blue Mosque is the most visited historical monument by tourists, Hagia Sophia can also be visited.
Hello Serhat
You mentioned “Hagia Sophia is open every day of the week.” For some reason google says it is closed on Satruday and Sunday. Just double checking since you posted this in May, was there any change of hours of Hagia Sophia? During the visiting hours which area of the mosque can you visit.
I remember when I was there in 2014 I was in first floor and also went to the upper floors. Are those still accessible during the visiting hours now?
Thanks
Hello Hasib,
It is not possible for Hagia Sophia to be closed on weekends. Because it accepts the most visitors on Saturday and Sunday. I don’t know on what basis they shared this information.
Last time I went, only the ground floor was accessible. After it became a mosque, the outer and inner narthexes lost their importance. Only the main section can be visited. The upper floors were closed for renovations.
I haven’t been able to go to Hagia Sophia for a while as I have suspended my tours due to Covid. I can share exact information when I start again in August.