Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum

5.0

275 ratings

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Маргарита Т.

Level 8 Local Expert

Stunning views, columns. Admission is free, you must be with your shoulders, legs, head covered. Don't forget to take off your shoes in front of the entrance and you will see a huge hall with magnificent wall painting, you can also see the layout of the square.

Владислав Плотников

Level 15 Local Expert

A competently and efficiently organized installation with excellent visual. Audio guide with a good translation into Russian. I would like to note the presentation of information: briefly, on the main events and dates, it is not delayed and gives a general idea. Movement through the halls of the museum takes place as part of a small group of people, a dozen or one and a half, there is no crowd. The technical support is at an excellent level, relative to other museums in Istanbul. Loud music in the background may confuse you, you should be careful when visiting with young children. But the volume is not higher than in any cinema.

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Кирилл

Level 11 Local Expert

The main point is the multimedia museum! There are very few exhibits here, some of them are not from the cathedral, but simply to demonstrate analogues. In fact, a mini-group is assembled at the entrance and led through the rooms, where clips about the creation of the temple and its history are shown, but only since 1453. The museum itself costs 800 lire. At the ticket office of St. Sophia Cathedral, they actively advise you to take tickets with the museum. If you do not know at all about the history of the temple, then it will be interesting and useful to visit this museum. However, it is better to go here before visiting the temple itself. However, in other cases, you can safely skip it.

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Анжела Винниченко

Level 4 Local Expert

A must-visit! The museum is gorgeous. They tell us about the history of the cathedral's construction and numerous reconstructions in an accessible and colorful way. An audio guide in your native language, computer graphics of films about the history of St. Sophia Cathedral and exhibits will not leave anyone indifferent!

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J G

Level 17 Local Expert

An unexpectedly beautiful museum. Buy a ticket, you won't regret it. It is interesting to tell the story of Istanbul through an audio guide. And the videos are shown very colorfully. When we visited, we didn't regret it at all. Excellent modern museum

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Наталья Владимировна Ганжа

Level 10 Local Expert

The Museum of the History of St. Sophia was very pleased with the combination of religions. This is a functioning mosque, and preserved images of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, and St. Irene and other saints. Impressive and powerful! A century-old mosaic from Christianity and a number of Muslim murals have been preserved! I advise all religious denominations to visit.

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Александр Кулик

Level 6 Local Expert

The impressions are unforgettable. It is very difficult to describe this beauty and power in one review. It just needs to be seen. One recommendation. You can purchase tickets not only to St. Sophia, but also to its museum, which is located at a distance from it. So it's better to visit the museum first, where they tell you about the history of the building in relation to historical events in any language during the interactive course. We did the opposite, and that's why we regretted it a little.

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Elros Fireheart

Level 13 Local Expert

Overall, it's a fun interactive museum. In addition to the interactive show, there is a good exhibition of Islamic manuscripts and, unexpectedly, Orthodox icons from the 18th and 19th centuries. It's not worth the money for my taste, but if you follow all sorts of museum maps, it's worth a look if the queue is small.

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Level 23 Local Expert

The divorce of clean water. At the ticket office at St. Sophia's, they were persuaded to buy tickets to the cathedral and to the museum, supposedly all the relics from the cathedral were in the museum. A double ticket costs 2,400 lire, but it is 2 times cheaper to go to the cathedral. Small groups are allowed into the museum, and there is a queue outside in the heat. Then they give you headphones and a receiver and lead you through the halls. In each hall, a small piece of a primitive film about the history of the cathedral is shown on the screen. At the end of 1 is a large hall with artifacts. All. Why walk around the halls when you can just watch a movie in one place? And then it will be clearer that there is nothing in the museum. And yes, there's nowhere to even sit in the halls. I gave 1 star for the fact that at least there are condees.

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Евгений

Level 17 Local Expert

They launch in groups, give you an audio guide with a large selection of languages at the entrance, then you are led through many halls where a video sequence is projected on the walls (and audio accompaniment is provided in the audio guide with headphones). The tour covers the main historical milestones of the cathedral. There are already exhibitions in the last halls where you can freely explore everything yourself - mainly icons, books, coins, etc. We bought a shared ticket and visited the museum after visiting the cathedral - in general, it would work as an addition, but I wouldn't go here on purpose - it doesn't draw on the museum, rather multimedia entertainment

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Дмитрий Сергеевич Горбатюк

Level 13 Local Expert

The museum is dedicated to the 17th century history of Hagia Sophia. As of February 2025, the ticket price is 950 liras. At the entrance, a group of about 12-15 people is gathered and each is given an audio guide with headphones. When the audio guide is issued, your language is adjusted. It is better to hold the device in your hand so that when moving from room to room, the sensor reads the location and turns on the desired audio track. The translation into Russian is high-quality. The information is provided competently, without delaying, the most basic and important points. The 3D picture on the walls allows you to visually absorb information. The music in the background is a bit loud, but not critical. After visiting the virtual part, you will find a small exhibit of exhibits. You can walk and take pictures. There is a free toilet at the exit, a women's toilet on the second floor, a men's toilet on the ground floor at the exit of the museum. The only way out of the museum is through the souvenir shop, which is expensive, of course. I really enjoyed the tour itself. I recommend you to visit.

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Maria Bondareva

Level 5 Local Expert

It is very interesting and informative! A modern exhibition, even children aged 11 and 13 were interested. They give you headphones with high-quality voice acting in Russian. I liked everything, I recommend it

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Александр Кудрявцев

Level 9 Local Expert

An interesting interactive museum or rather an exhibition. There are many halls with video projections on the walls, which are guided by a museum employee. Headphones with an audio guide are provided at the entrance, which automatically plays the recording when moving to another room. There are very few exhibits, but there are several from Russia, including old icons. Overall, I liked it, it was very informative and well done.

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James Bond

Level 5 Local Expert

It's a great museum, I recommend it to everyone, especially those who are visiting Istanbul for the first time. But before visiting it is better to go to Hagia Sophia. Then a lot of things that will be shown in the museum will become clear even without a guide. By the way, there is no guide as such, you are given an audio guide.

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Юлия Кудряшова

Level 13 Local Expert

First to the museum, then to Sofia, and you don't have to take a guide, but if you go with a guide, you don't need one. But in general, it's well done, modern and informative. A staff member conducts a very decent audio guide through all the interactive halls. The format is more like a cinema than a museum, you go from hall to hall and listen to the story of Sofia.

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Иванов Владимир

Level 16 Local Expert

Just a must-visit place in Istanbul. There are few such historically significant and touching places in the world. The disadvantages are the huge queue and the ticket price. They gave 2000 lire for a ticket plus 500 lire for a guide, but they passed without waiting in line and he conducted a rather interesting tour.

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Дмитрий В.

Level 7 Local Expert

Multimedia museum. A movie from hall to hall. The movie is interesting. There are very few exhibits. You can look at it, but if you are limited in funds, you can look at the information on the Internet and just visit the Church itself.Sofia. From 2025, only the 2nd floor is for tourists! The first floor is for Turkish citizens only.

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Богдан Хабаев

Level 6 Local Expert

It's better to go on a weekday, there are long queues on weekends, we really liked everything, took a full tour, got access to the balcony in Hagia Sophia and the museum. Access to the gym is for locals only.

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Наиля Сабурова

Level 8 Local Expert

Before visiting Hagia Sophia, I highly recommend taking a look at this museum! It was enchanting. Moving from hall to hall, you immerse yourself in the history of the mosque's origin, conquest and all the reconstructions.Huge screens and special effects, everything is very spectacular!

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Исаев Мурад

Level 7 Local Expert

Why do you visit the mosque first and then the museum? Was the child in charge of this, or just an indifferent person? Or maybe ticket sales are closer to the mosque? How can you show a mosque, and only then explain what this ancient structure has survived? And you will have already completed the museum, the players with interference, you could have given out glasses and made three-dimensional presentations, not 100 lira entrance, as it were. Everything seems interesting, but not finalized.

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Я тут была

Level 12 Local Expert

It was my dream to visit Istanbul. And visiting Hagia Sophia is something out of the ordinary... But all dreams can come true (so be careful)and when they come true... Fasten your seat belts, hold on and have the most fun.

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Эрнест Ходжаев

Level 9 Local Expert

Dear tourists, maybe the museum is good, but the entertainment starts at the ticket office. When you buy a ticket to Hagia Sophia, the ticket tellers will exactly give you tickets to the museum of experience. If you are not specifically going to this museum, then demand payment only for Hagia Sophia. 25 euros per person (13.06). On the downside, we never got to this museum, the queue was moving very slowly. They are launched in groups of 10 people. We stood there for an hour, freaked out, and left. 50 euros per pipe.

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Юрочкина Т.

Level 5 Local Expert

A very interesting interactive tour. A large display of icons, coins, and more. An audio guide is provided at the entrance. I didn't regret going. The kids liked it too.

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masterskaya_anna

Level 12 Local Expert

At the ticket office to Sofia, they imposed a ticket to the museum, saying that we would not see the first floor in the mosque, and in the museum there were objects from the first floor. There were objects, two halls, these are things interesting to Muslims. There is nothing about mosaics and the Orthodox part, only a hall with 19th-century Russian icons that are not directly related to Sofia. The museum itself is a video series with the history of Sofia, quite vivid, simple and visual. But not for 23 euros (as of May 12, 2025)

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Наталия и Алексей

Level 14 Local Expert

A dynamic interactive museum of the history of the greatest Christian temple - mosque! Audio guide in any language, the organization is wonderful. At the moment, Hagia Sophia is closed for reconstruction, you can get inside, but you need to keep in mind the restrictions associated with visiting the existing mosque and construction and repair work. If you don't want to touch the holy stones, you can safely go to the museum. An entrance ticket to the museum can be purchased at the entrance to the museum or at the ticket office of St. Sophia. The museum and the mosque cathedral are located in different locations. There will be 2 tickets at the ticket offices of St. Sophia. At the museum 1. You can purchase an electronic ticket to the museum.

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Андрей

Level 6 Local Expert

A chic modern museum for citizens of any country, there are audio guides in any language, very prudent in this regard, thanks to the organizers of this museum.

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Иван М.

Level 7 Local Expert

The interactive exposition and the guided tour with headphones did not make an impression, there were long queues. I don't recommend wasting your time, unless you have a goal to see the exhibit. The building is beautifully lit in the evening

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Ольга Шиллинг

Level 8 Local Expert

We were on guided tours, there were a lot of people. You need to wear a headscarf and a skirt or trousers below the knee, if you do not have a headscarf, they sell a disposable one at the checkout. There's a service going on downstairs, and guided tours. The Khristianskaya painting is covered with canvases. If you are in Istanbul, you should definitely visit this place with a centuries-old history.

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Анна Воронкова

Level 10 Local Expert

It's a beautiful place. The tour is interactive. Headphones with an audio guide in the desired language are provided at the entrance. The tour lasts about 25 minutes. They are allowed in small groups of 15 people. I recommend visiting this museum first, and then St. Sophia Cathedral. Entrance fee April 2025 50 € (museum and St. Sophia Cathedral itself)

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Юлия И.

Level 8 Local Expert

Being near the Blue Mosque, there are a lot of beautiful sights concentrated in one place, I strongly advise you to visit.

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Myachin Konstantin

Level 13 Local Expert

Impressive. There is an active mosque on the 1st floor. It's free for Muslims. The 2nd floor is open for tourists. Dress code, women's shoulders and knees are more covered. handkerchief. All this is sold at the entrance. 50 lire handkerchief. And when visiting (the blue mosque) nearby, they give it out for free. You can visit it once.

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Secret Combination

Level 7 Local Expert

I really liked it. The museum is very coolly made. Informative and interesting. Especially if it's your first time visiting A

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Алексей К.

Level 4 Local Expert

It's not worth your money at all. I watched a cartoon about St. Sophia on big screens. They didn't say anything particularly new for interested people. Such content can be easily viewed on the Internet. At the same time, since they launch in small groups, I had to stand in line for an hour.

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Андрей Балабин

Level 10 Local Expert

The interactive part of the exhibition is very interesting. It tells a story. An audio guide is included in the ticket price and cannot be dispensed with in the interactive part of the exhibition.

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Юлия Никитина

Level 5 Local Expert

It's very interesting and spectacular. Interactive pictures make an impression. The downside is that we've been queuing for a long time to get in, but it's worth it!

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Инкогнито 8804

Level 4 Local Expert

The museum is interesting. I recommend it with children. Many people do not notice it, although it is part of the museum complex with St. Sophia and is included in the ticket price.

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светлана

Level 15 Local Expert

A very interesting interactive museum. It is better to visit before visiting the AiSofia itself. There is an audio guide in Russian. It's not cheap, but it's worth it.

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Игорь Шумилин

Level 12 Local Expert

First, Aya Sofia. Then the museum. It will be more interesting this way.Bmlets cost 25 euros. Both tickets will cost 50. It is better to buy at these cash registers. There are no queues. And go to Hagia Sophia. Then come back here.

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Рашид Хайруллин

Level 12 Local Expert

A cool interactive video tour with an audio guide in the right language. After that, there are halls with lots of exhibits, and at the end there is a souvenir shop.

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Андрей Абрамов

Level 20 Local Expert

It was a real surprise at the end of the vacation - the Hagia Sophia History Museum on Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul. I strongly recommend visiting before you go to the temple of all religions itself – the Hagia Sophia Mosque. The exposition on the two upper floors turned out to be unexpected for me. Prepared for visitors using the most famous technologies in the field of special effects. In 3D format, you will be shown the history of the creation and destruction of the famous temple. A free audio guide with an excellent audio version is included. There is one in Russian too. I went to the museum absolutely without interest, for the company of my wife. During the visit, I was pleasantly surprised, and that's putting it mildly: A supermuseum, high–tech gadgets - at every step. At the entrance, the guide forms a small group, invites you inside a high–tech elevator - and forward into fiction.

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Татьяна Белянина

Level 11 Local Expert

A wonderful museum and a wonderful presentation of information The case when multimedia technology is only for the good, history comes to life before our eyes.

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Алексей Терентьев

Level 15 Local Expert

Unfortunately, museum maps don't work. You get an audio guide at the entrance and watch 4k movies in the halls. Then there is the opportunity to see the relics. 1,100 rubles for one

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Михаил Гор

Level 9 Local Expert

A place where you can go to understand the history of St. Sophia Cathedral. Preferably before visiting the Cathedral itself .

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Larisa Shestakova

Level 10 Local Expert

Admission is very expensive, it is allowed to walk on the balcony and go to a small meager museum. It's worth a look, of course, but not for that kind of money. I advised two friends not to go there.

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Vlada Chi

Level 26 Local Expert

A fully interactive and very fast museum, definitely worth its €25. I recommend

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Алексей

Level 7 Local Expert

About nothing. It's not comparable to the ticket price. Pure divorce for the money of naive foreigners. Especially those who do not know either English or Turkish

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Level 4 Local Expert

They let us in groups, we must wait. There are almost no exhibits, only short cartoons in every room, everything is very loud.

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Аэлита Б.

Level 8 Local Expert

First, it's better to go to the Hagia Sophia interactive Museum, and then to Sofia itself.

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ИВАН С.

Level 6 Local Expert

Be sure to visit. Very interesting. It's better to take a guide. You won't understand anything without it.

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Мария В.

Level 19 Local Expert

They offer it along with a ticket to Sofia itself. In my opinion, it's better to go here first. An audio guide is given at the entrance and a specially trained person leads from room to room, where they show animation on the story to epic music. You can take pictures, you can't take pictures, but we were so stunned by the music and visual that it was not up to the photo)

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Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum

95 reviews