Hagia Sophia was a church during the Byzantine period and a mosque during the Ottoman period. It remained as a museum for a long time, but was turned back into a mosque in 2020. Nowadays, praying in Hagia Sophia is free, but for touristic visits you have to buy a ticket.
As of November 2024, the lower floor of Hagia Sophia serves entirely as a mosque and is open only to those who pray. The upper floor galleries are open to touristic visits and can be entered by purchasing a ticket.
Hagia Sophia ticket price is 25 Euros in 2025. Museum Pass Istanbul is not valid here. Hagia Sophia is open to visitors between 09:00 in the morning and 19:00 in the evening. This information was last updated on November 20, 2024.
If you would like to buy a skip-the-line ticket for Hagia Sophia, you can make a reservation for a guided group tour via this link. These online tickets can save you from waiting at the ticket booths during the spring and summer months.
Alternatively, you can review the Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque combined tour, one of Istanbul’s best-selling guided tours, via the link here. These tours are sold with the guarantee of GetYourGuide, an international travel platform.
In the rest of the article, you can find many tips you will need about your visit to Hagia Sophia. As a local tour 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 Was It Converted Into 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 back into a mosque again with a decision taken in 2020.
Hagia Sophia could be visited free of charge as a mosque between 2020 and 2023. However, during this period, endless queues were forming at the entrance of the building. For this reason, paid entry for foreign tourists has been reinstated as of January 2024.
Thus, those who want to visit the building for touristic purposes will not disturb the worshipers downstairs while visiting the upper floor. Since there are two different entrances to the building, the routes of worshipers and touristic visitors are separated.
4. Hagia Sophia Entrance Fee 2025
Hagia Sophia entrance fee is 25 Euros as of 2025. Museum Pass Istanbul is not valid at Hagia Sophia. Information about ticket prices was last updated on November 20, 2024.
Hagia Sophia has two main entrances. One of them is the south gate on the side where the park and square are located. However, only Muslims who will pray can enter through this door.
The gate of Hagia Sophia, which is reserved for touristic visits, is adjacent to the monumental entrance of Topkapi Palace and is located on the eastern side of the building, facing the Bosphorus.
Ticket offices started to become busy with the start of the tourist season in May 2025. If you would like to buy a skip-the-line ticket for Hagia Sophia, you can access the relevant page from this link.
5. Hagia Sophia Opening Hours 2025
Hagia Sophia opening hours are between 09:00 in the morning and 19:00 in the evening as of 2025. Please note that Hagia Sophia is closed on Fridays from 12:00 noon to 14:30 for congregational prayers. This information was last updated on November 20, 2024.
Hagia Sophia’s visiting hours have changed many times in recent years and there may be a lot of outdated information on the internet. However, as of November 20, 2024, Hagia Sophia is opened to touristic visits at 09:00 in the morning.
6. Hagia Sophia Prayer Times 2025
In order to predict the prayer times of Hagia Sophia in 2025, you can follow the prayer times in Istanbul on this official site. The main gate of Hagia Sophia on the park side opens shortly before the adhan time for local and foreign Muslims who want to worship.
It should also be noted that the main entrance of Hagia Sophia is open to Turkish citizens throughout the day (whether it is prayer time or not). However, foreign Muslim visitors can only pass through the main gate to pray during adhan time.
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.
7. Are the Mosaics in Hagia Sophia open?
Yes, the mosaics in Hagia Sophia are open. The mosaics inside Hagia Sophia are dated between the 9th century and the 13th century. As an exception, “the Virgin and the Child mosaic” in the main space is covered with a curtain.
The most important works of art that have survived from the Byzantine Empire are these religious mosaics. If you want to learn more about Hagia Sophia mosaics, you can also read this article decorated with rich visuals.
As of 2025, visitors to Hagia Sophia can see all the mosaics on the upper floor, and when leaving the building, they can also take a look at “the mosaic of Emperors Justinian and Constantine” at the south door of the ground floor (don’t forget to check it out, it’s a 1000-year-old masterpiece).
However, as of 2025, only the upper floor is open to foreign tourists and the lower floor is open to Muslims. For this reason, “the Emperor Leo VI mosaic” over the Imperial Gate on the ground floor remains outside the tour route of foreign tourists.
8. Hagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket 2025
There are two main options for visiting Hagia Sophia with a guided tour in 2025. The first of these options provides skip-the-line ticket for Hagia Sophia and you can buy tickets for this tour via the link here.
The second option is the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque combined tour and it has high customer satisfaction and you can purchase tickets for this recommended tour via this link.
9. 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 20 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.
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.
Hello 🙂 Thank you for the wonderfull information page! Hopefully me and my friend can visit Istanbul soon and do some tours. Did you by any chanche discovered when the former museum parts of Hagia Sophia will open again? (1st and 2nd floor, and the Baptismal Font room). It would be so wonderfull to see that as well.
Hi Bastian, unfortunately, the sections that were closed after the Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque have not been opened yet. As far as I know, the baptistery is still closed. Also, the second floor galleries cannot be visited. Therefore, a significant part of the Byzantine mosaics cannot be seen for the time being.
Hello, I’m going to have a layover in Istanbul for 9 hours from 6 pm can I visit Hagia Sophia/Blue Mosque after 6 pm?
Thank you in advance
The museums in Istanbul entered the winter period as of October 1 and close at 18:30. However, since the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are mosques, they do not have the exact times as the museums. As far as I know, Hagia Sophia cannot be visited after 6 pm. In addition, as the restoration work in the Blue Mosque is gaining momentum, it is sometimes completely closed these days.
Hello! We are going to visit istanbul 24th of October and we are wondering what is the situation with lines and covid restrictions? Does it worth it to book a guided tour just to skip the line lets say on a Monday morning?
Hello, you need to visit Hagia Sophia with a mask. As far as I know, there is no other precaution other than this. I don’t think there will be a queue at the entrance on Monday.
Hi Serhat, Great site very informative. Just a point on Aya Sophia, it certainly wasn’t the first Roman domed building. The Pantheon in Rome has a massive dome built 400 years earlier, 126AD. It is still the biggest concrete dome of its type in the world (yes, the Romans perfected concrete 200BC). Keep up the good work Serhat. Regards to my favourite city in the World.
Dear Milton Hill,
Thank you for your feedback on the blog and your contribution to the architectural details.
Serhat, have you started doing half day tour of Hagia Sofia, etc, in Istanbul? How much fees do you charge?
Hi Gan, yes, I started doing half-day tours again. You can find the details in this article.
Hi Serhat,
We are planning to visit Hagia Sophia on 5th July (Tuesday) during a layover flight from Rome to Male. We are scheduled to reach at 3:05, but by the time we get out of airport with immigration formalities, it appears too tight as Tripadvisor and many other sites are saying that the closing hour is 5PM.
Some sites say it is open 24 hours. You have said earlier in this blog that as it is a mosque now, it maybe open till 6:30PM. Do you think we can visit given a tight schedule? Also, do you still do guided tours? Our connecting flight is at 6:15 AM next day (July 6th) so we have no time constraints in the evening.
I did visit the Grand Mosque at Abu Dhabi in 2019 and it was open upto 9PM. It would have been nice if Hagia Sophia was also open till late. What is the current situation. Also, how are current Covid related restrictions. We are vaccinated 3 doses and live in Canada. Thanks in advance for your help.
Hello Prak, frankly, things about the touristic visit to Hagia Sophia are not completely clear at the moment. Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque at the start of the pandemic period in 2020. Since this process has taken place a little fast, the new order is sitting slowly at the moment.
For example, the upper floor galleries of Hagia Sophia are still closed and visitors cannot see the mosaics there. Of the lower floor mosaics, only the Virgin and the Child mosaic in the main room was covered with a curtain and the others were left open.
Touristic visiting hours continue until 18:30 at mosques in Istanbul (eg the Blue Mosque). However, while the Blue Mosque is strictly closed during prayer hours, this rule is not applied with the same discipline in Hagia Sophia.
As far as I’ve seen recently, there is a barrier in the middle of Hagia Sophia that defines the place of worship. Although those who come for touristic visits can enter Hagia Sophia during worship, they cannot cross this barrier.
This is good in a way because at least you can see Hagia Sophia partially if you come to visit it during prayer time. On the other hand, if you had gone to the Blue Mosque during prayer, you could only see the courtyard and you would not be able to go to the indoor part.
When locals go to Hagia Sophia for worship, they can enter late. Because the last adhan of the day is already around 21:30 and it is possible to pray inside. However, as I mentioned before, touristic visiting hours are limited to 09:00 in the morning and 18:30 in the evening in Istanbul mosques.
I didn’t go to Hagia Sophia that late. Next time I’ll talk to the staff there about this. If there is a different situation than what I described and if it can be visited later than 18:30, I will notify you from your personal e-mail address (registered in the system).
Thanks so much Serhat, for the prompt and detailed reply. It really helps if the place is open till 18:30 hrs at least. It would allow to get at least hopefully a glimpse. It is also very encouraging to know that locals can enter till 21:30, that may mean a chance to hangout a bit later if entered the place by 18:30. Thanks for your advise, and really appreciate your offer to keep us updated if there is any updates.
Best regards,
-Prak
You’re welcome, Prak. I hope you have a good time in Istanbul. Have a nice trip!
Hi Serhat,
Do you know if Hagia Sofia will be open on 1st or 2nd May ? (Sunday/Monday). We are trying to work out what attractions are open around Eid Al Fitr! (If you also know about Topkapi Palace please do let me know too!)
Thanks,
Emma
Hello Emma, visiting hours of mosques and museums in Istanbul may be limited on public holidays and religious days. However, I can’t say anything because the visiting hours change from year to year.
Normally, the Istanbul Chamber of Guides informs us of the temporary visiting hours during the holidays by email. However, I haven’t received any news about this yet.
I don’t think there will be any restrictions on visiting mosques such as Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque on 1 May. On the other hand, on May 2, it is the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
Last time, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque were closed for half a day until the early afternoon. As a museum, Topkapı Palace may be completely closed on the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
As a result, I think you can definitely find the opportunity to visit these places in one of the two days. Because these structures are not closed for more than one day during religious holidays.
However, the Grand Bazaar is an exception. It is completely closed during religious holidays.
Hello Serhat. Can you please give me step by step instructions to go from our hotel at the Pullman Istanbul Hotel, Yenibosna Merkez which is very near Attaturk Airport to Sultanahmet or Hagia Sophia. I would like to take public transport but I would not mind taking taxi to the nearest public transport terminal from our hotel.
Can I take taxi from Hotel to Atakoy Metro and take the metro to Sultanahmet ?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hello Jose, under this title, I am trying to give inside information to make it easier for people to visit Hagia Sophia. However, this is more about the opening hours and restoration status of Hagia Sophia.
Unfortunately, making a “step-by-step address description” does not fit into my voluntarily task. If I answer how to get to Hagia Sophia from every hotel in Istanbul, I can’t mind my own business.
Hagia Sophia is the most famous historical monument in Istanbul and I don’t think you will have any problems getting there by public transportation. If you ask the hotel concierge, they will give you the necessary address directions.
Please don’t take it personally, the reason I’m writing such an answer is to block such individual questions. I wish you a nice trip.
Hi Serhat,
What a wonderful blog. We are a couple visiting Istanbul for the first time in 2 days with our 6 month old.
We will be there on Saturday, I don’t think we’ll manage much on this day as we will most likely get to our hotel in Sirkeci in the afternoon.
Is it possible to do the Grand bazaar at around 5pm on a Saturday? I believe it is closed on Sunday and then the Eid celebrations begin so we would like to check it out before
Can we do Aya Sophia and The Blue mosque early morning on Sunday 1st May?
2nd of May- are the ferries operating on this day..we were thinking of taking a ferry on the Bosphorous seeing that a lot of places may shut.
Thanks in advance!!
Hello Neh, Grand Bazaar is open until 7:00 pm on Saturdays. However, from 6:30 onwards, the lights start to go out and the shops begin to close.
I don’t think there will be a change in the visiting hours of Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque on May 1. There was no news about this.
Topkapi Palace will be closed on May 2 (the first day of Ramadan Feast). I wrote it as a note for other people reading this page as well. Bosphorus cruises operate on that day.
Hello Serhat. Thank you so much for the updated information. You were one of the few pages on my google search that actually gave this info! Just to make sure, are any of the Byzantine mosaics and pagan carvings covered? The beauty of Hagia Sophia has always been the mix of beliefs that it portrays… I hope we can still see that.
Hi Twiggy, thanks for your feedback on the blog. In fact, the answers to the questions about mosaics are already in the article. The engraving of the Viking soldier is on the second floor and cannot be seen as access to the galleries is currently closed.
Are there any restrictions to visits to Hagia Sophia and others mosques during the month of Ramadan.? Thank you very much.
Hi Eileen, There are no restrictions for mosques during Ramadan. However, mosques in Sultanahmet can be much more crowded than usual during Ramadan (especially in the evening).
Thanks for your helpful guide. Do you know if the upper gallery is still closed (as of October 2022)?
Hi Anush, yes, the upper galleries of Hagia Sophia are still closed. I don’t think they will be opened anytime soon.
Thanks for your reply. I enjoyed my visit although it was bit disappointing not to be able to see the mosaics in the upper galleries. I found your blogpost very useful.
Hello Anush, yes, it is not possible for now to see the works of art inside Hagia Sophia in detail as in the museum period. Maybe improvements will be made in the future.
Hello, thank you for putting together such an informative page! Is there any etiquette that visitors must observe? I ask because I am an Orthodox Christan. While touring the Hagia Sofia I might cross myself spontaneously as it is a normal for me to do on a regular basis. Would I be asked to leave if I did so? Thank you in advanced
Hi Adrian, I don’t think there will be a problem with your cross. Frankly, a lot has changed about the procedure for visiting Hagia Sophia since it turned into a mosque, and I haven’t been able to follow the details much in the last few weeks.
However, the staff are generally very tolerant of visitors. Since Hagia Sophia used to be a church, I think they will perceive your crossing as an act of showing respect to the building.
Hi Serhat,
First, thank you very much for your very informative blog.
In you post on Hagia Sophia you mention that taking a particular guided tour will make participants ”enter quickly”. I understood that there was no ”skip the line” at Hagia Sophia. Can you please expand on what you mean by ”enter quickly” ?
I thank you very much in advance for your reply.
Hi Maud, yes you are right I forgot to remove an old phrase there. Thanks for drawing attention to this issue.
Hagia Sophia was a museum for 90 years until 2020. Licensed guides like me had priority when buying tickets to Hagia Sophia. I was highlighting this advantage in the articles on this site.
However, when Hagia Sophia was suddenly turned into a mosque in July 2020, it was not possible for me to update every single one of the 200 articles on this website.
I am trying to keep this article updated as it is specifically about Hagia Sophia. However, the phrase “enter quickly” in it can be misleading. For this reason, I will remove it.
As a result, there is no fast way to enter Hagia Sophia with or without a guide. Everyone has to wait in the queue for an average of 1 hour. However, I personally think that guided groups are more organized.
Hello Serhat,
Is it possible to visit inside the Hagia Sophia on Fridays? Do you know when the Blue Mosque will be open for tourists again? Thank you.
Hello John, Hagia Sophia is closed on Fridays from morning until 14:30 due to the congregational prayers. This rule applies to almost all mosques in Istanbul.
The announced reopening date for the Blue Mosque was April 21. It may be open now. However, I haven’t had a chance to go to Sultanahmet and verify it myself.
Hi, I have a long layover in Istanbul and wanted to visit the mosque late night since I would like to come when there aren’t too many people. I read that a good time to go would be right before closing. However, I’m getting a lot of different times for when it’s closed to visitors, like 10:00 to 11:30 pm. Could you let me know what’s the latest I could stay? Thanks
Hello Anh,
Last time I checked, Hagia Sophia’s closing time was 22:00. This time will come a little earlier as winter approaches.
After 19:00 in the evening, Hagia Sophia is generally quieter. It is much easier to visit Hagia Sophia in the evening, as tour groups that form queues in front of the building generally leave Sultanahmet around 18:00.
Best,
Serhat
I’m going on 23 January. So sad there is no way of visiting the main floor, it won’t be the same and Hagia Sophia is the main reason why i am traveling.
Do you know if there is any student discount in Hagia Sophia or in other main sites such as Topkapi Palace, archaeological Museum or Basilica Cistern?
Thank you
Hello Luis, all I know now is that tourists will now be admitted through a different door and will enter the building from the second floor.
However, I do not yet know whether the experience of visitors who enter Hagia Sophia by purchasing tickets will be limited to the upper floor galleries or whether they will be allowed to leave the building from the ground floor by seeing the lower floor as well.
In order to provide reliable information on these issues, I need to go to Hagia Sophia and visit it like a tourist myself, and since I don’t have many tours these days due to the winter season, this may take a few days.
As far as I know, there is no discount for foreign students in museums in Istanbul. Since Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern are each affiliated with different institutions, I do not have 100% accurate information on this subject.
Update: As of January 16, 2024, I visited Hagia Sophia as designed for foreign tourists and updated the article completely. Unfortunately, most of the ground floor is off the tourist route.
Hi,
Do you know if the museum card covers the entrance to Hagia Sophia?
Hello Franciszek, unfortunately Museum Pass Istanbul is not valid at the entrance to Hagia Sophia.
Is it confirmed that tourists are not allowed on the main floor?
Another thing, it may be stupid question, but how they are checking if someone is Muslim or not before entering through main gate?
Muslims who are not Turkish citizens can enter Hagia Sophia only during prayer hours. They are let in after the adhan is recited and go out after the congregational prayer is over.
Those who enter without the purpose of worship and who do not join the congregation while they are praying may be subject to warnings from security guards. I hope such unpleasant things don’t happen.
Thank you for your reply.
One more question – since ticket booths are close you are suggesting getting tickets for Topkapi Palace and visiting palace later. Are tickets for Topkapi and tickets for hagia Sophia valid for whole day in which they were bought?
You are welcome. Museum tickets are valid for the day they are purchased. So, you can buy your Topkapi Palace ticket in the morning and use it when you return after visiting Hagia Sophia.
There are signs at the entrance that say tourists who can’t handle stairs have to use the Turkish Citizens entrance. My mother is 84 and uses a wheelchair when she travels as she can’t walk far or up and down lots of stairs.
Can I take her and escort her through the Turkish Citizens entrance? What will we see? I assume we can only go outside prayer times as we aren’t Muslim, could you confirm this as I can’t find these details anywhere… Thanks Deen
Hello Deen, frankly, I have no knowledge about this subject and I have never experienced it. This seems plausible if visitors in wheelchairs enter through the main gate on the square side.
Yes, there is indeed a long ramp at the tourist entrance to reach the upper floor galleries. Additionally, when descending, you go down another ramp for a few minutes.
By visiting the lower floor, you get the same experience as everyone who visited Hagia Sophia between 2020 and 2023. The upper floor galleries and the Byzantine mosaics there could not be seen in recent years.
If you read people’s experiences in the last three years from Google reviews, you can predict that you will get the same impression by visiting the lower floor, and I think you will be happy about it.
In Turkey, women with babies and handicapped people generally receive the highest level of attention. For this reason, you can be sure that they will approach you very friendly at the main entrance and help you have the best visiting experience possible.
I’m from Indonesia and las time I visit Hagia Sophia was 2018 when its still become the museum. But I’ve got a chance to visit it once again soon with my wife in April 2024.
I’ve plan to perform my Friday’s Prayer in this mosque.
The question:
1. As a foreign muslim can i perform my friday prayers here? Can I get through the Hagia Sophia earlier to enter the building so I can get the first shaf when I pray?
2. Does woman have a place to pray also for friday prayer or dhuhr prayer during the friday prayer? because I’ll be taking my wife there and my wife should be entering the Hagia Sophia with me as well.
Thank you in advance for your detailed information
Hello Akmal, although I know the conditions for touristic visits to Hagia Sophia, I do not have exact information about every scenario. Therefore, I can answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.
1) Yes, Muslim visitors are allowed to enter Hagia Sophia for Friday prayers. However, foreigners are only allowed in during prayer hours. It is not possible to enter in advance and make a touristic visit.
It should also be noted that Fridays are the days when locals visit Hagia Sophia the most. For this reason, it is difficult to enter early and find available space in front.
2) As far as I know, both men and women can enter for Friday prayers. There is already a separate section reserved for women inside.