Hagia Sophia Mosque

5.0

5261 rating

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Lima Maksud

Level 7 Local Expert

Hagia Sophia is one of the most impressive places I’ve ever visited❤️. The building is huge and stunning inside and out, with so much history behind it. The mix of cultures and architecture makes it really unique. It can be a bit crowded, but it’s absolutely worth it — a must-visit when you’re in Istanbul.

Curdin

Level 23 Local Expert

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.

Евгений О.

Level 8 Local Expert

Mosque is in a very bad conditions and needs serious reconstruction, also prices for visit are very high.

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Level 25 Local Expert

A breathtaking monument blending Byzantine and Ottoman history. Located in Sultanahmet; easily reachable by tram (Sultanahmet stop).

Angelika

Level 8 Local Expert

Visiting Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is an unforgettable experience. The grandeur of the temple, the fusion of Byzantine and Ottoman cultures, the beauty of mosaics, and the play of light create a unique atmosphere. A must-visit place for history and art lovers.

Tania

Level 30 Local Expert

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.

rsni

Level 21 Local Expert

Amazing place, no words needed

Dasha P.

Level 10 Local Expert

Beautiful!

Mme Tanoh

Level 12 Local Expert

Didn't get inside but the view is so magnificent. Will come again another day

мария федотова

Level 6 Local Expert

beautiful

Shohruh Rahmatillayev

Level 4 Local Expert

So beautiful and historical place

Бердиёр Яхшиликов

Level 4 Local Expert

Beautiful mosque with its old fashion

Hakan Dilan

Level 8 Local Expert

No wonder it’s one of the wonders of the world

Глеб Глинка

Level 8 Local Expert

Unfriendly…

Armine Khachatryan

Level 9 Local Expert

It’s a must visit place!

Osman Abdurashytov

Level 9 Local Expert

Magnificent

Suleman Ahmed

Level 3 Local Expert

Very Historic Mosque

Abraham

Level 8 Local Expert

So dangerous to be there. There are a lot of street sellers and pickpockets around.

sandsn

Level 15 Local Expert

History

Владимир

Level 13 Local Expert

It's definitely worth a visit. It is a very large and beautiful temple. The queue was avoided thanks to the Istambul Explorer pass, otherwise it is there for a kilometer. Some of the mosaics were simply replaced with stenciled patterns. There are remnants of Christian frescoes. The energy of the place is interesting.

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Светлана Лопина

Level 16 Local Expert

It's an amazing place! Hagia Sophia makes an incredible impression with its grandeur and history. You can feel the atmosphere of centuries here — the architecture, scale and details are simply mesmerizing. A must-visit, one of the most powerful impressions of the trip!

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Сергей Великий.

Level 19 Local Expert

A large and high mosque 🕌 A majestic and ancient building. A former church with frescoes on the walls. The building impresses with its size. You can see the scope and breadth of the soul!👍 Architects and those who built it for centuries! I recommend watching and admiring it! 🙏

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Vladik Shchurko

Level 9 Local Expert

Hagia Sophia is not just a museum or a mosque, it is a living story set in stone. Stepping inside, you can feel the breath of centuries: from the Byzantine Empire to the Ottoman Empire. The scale of the dome seems unreal, and the ancient frescoes and mosaics that appear through the Islamic calligraphic scrolls make an incredible, almost mystical impression. It is a unique symbol of the dialogue between cultures and religions. To be in this space, where Both Christian emperors and Ottoman sultans PRAYED, and this is a powerful feeling. I advise you to come to the opening to avoid long queues and stand in silence for a while, absorbing the atmosphere.👌

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Аноним

Level 10 Local Expert

A place with a lot of history. The real symbol of Istanbul, which was first a basilica, then a cathedral, and since 1453 has been a mosque, where even ordinary tourists can enter. Every religion that has ever been practiced in the mosque has contributed to its decoration. From Muslims, the minarets and symbols on the dome, and from Christians, the structure of the cathedral as a whole. I advise you to visit, it's an excellent choice to broaden your horizons.

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Каролина Гончарова, свадебный организатор

Level 21 Local Expert

You go in and get on the balcony of the cathedral, in fact, it's majestic to the point of goosebumps. The mosaics have been preserved - they are magnificent. I was very impressed with the chandeliers, they look so organic and authentic. We went downstairs, we wanted to go to the first floor. But it turned out that the first floor is only for Turkish citizens and worshippers, we are not allowed there. It turns out that the entrance fee is 25 euros/person and you can actually see half of the cathedral. I really wanted to see this majestic dome from the bottom from the center, but alas. Thanks to the girls at the exit for agreeing on the entrance for us again, since we actually came out by accident in search of the first floor. I really liked it, you can feel the antiquity of the building

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Григорий Храмых

Level 8 Local Expert

A visit to St. Sophia's Cathedral is an immersion in history! The majestic dome, sixth-century mosaics and the atmosphere where Christianity and Islam are intertwined leave an indelible impression. Did you know that the cathedral was the largest Christian church for almost 1,000 years, and after the conquest of Constantinople it became a mosque? Today it is a museum where every stone preserves the secrets of Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. Be sure to look at the "weeping column" - according to legend, it cures diseases.

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R17

Level 9 Local Expert

Today (November 25, 2025) we were inside. What is important to know before visiting (most likely, you will not be informed about this anywhere else): 1 - dollars are NOT accepted at the checkout. Only lira or euro (or by card, but not Russian). 2 - the cashier, by default, tried to sell us a more expensive ticket with a visit to some additional museum. Without it, 1 ticket costs 25 euros, with it all 50 (!). If your goal is to visit the mosque itself, confidently say that you need a basic cheap ticket for 25 euros. First, they turn on the fool, then they punch a regular ticket. 3 - only the balcony area is accessible to tourists (and the entrance and exit from it are through beautiful corridors and halls). The balcony is circular, there is something to see on it. But you will only see 60-70% of the main hall and the main dome (and you won't take 100% normal photos) because of the huge scaffolding RIGHT in the middle of the mosque. You can verify the attached photos. It is not written about this anywhere, although in all conscience they could make a significant discount on tickets during the repair period (for the inconvenience). Keep this in mind as well. 4 - It will take at least an hour to explore the mosque in some detail without a guide. There are no toilets inside, and they don't sell water either. Despite the signs forbidding the carrying of water, we were quietly allowed through with 0.5 bottles in our backpack. In general, the scale and history of the place are amazing, but the price is very high at the moment.

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Павел Ивлиев

Level 11 Local Expert

One of the first feelings that arose when visiting the Cathedral was disappointment. The ticket costs 50 euros, for this money you can get to the balcony of the Cathedral – 25 euros and explore the interactive museum – 25 euros. Or you can get to the Cathedral balcony only for 25 euros. They are no longer allowed on the first floor of the temple, now it is not a museum, but a functioning mosque, and only worshippers are allowed there. Indeed, frescoes from the 9th century and mosaics from the Byzantine period can be seen from around the corner, but the overall impression does not meet expectations. The impression of viewing the Cathedral from the balcony was smoothed out by visiting the interactive museum, where the entire history of the Cathedral's construction was colorfully told with music and a good audio guide. There were 6 of us and I am expressing their total impression of what I saw. P.S. My daughter managed to visit the Cathedral a couple of years ago, when they were still allowed on the ground floor, and, according to her, it was a completely different impression.

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Тимур

Level 5 Local Expert

I was here exactly five years ago, so there is something to compare it with. Unfortunately, none of the changes that have taken place are for the better. The first concerns the price. 100 euros (~5,000 lira) for two tickets is astronomical money for what you will see. For comparison, a guided group tour of the Vatican museums can cost you about the same price. At the same time, there are two important details: a) there is no ticket price at the box office, and you will only find out at the window. b) if you are offered the so-called "full" ticket that we purchased, we are not talking about all the rooms of Hagia Sophia, but about visiting only the second floor of the cathedral and the Hagia Sophia Experience Museum nearby. And you will probably go there only to recoup the ticket price. Second. The content of the tour. Five years ago, even despite the ongoing renovation, it was possible to get to almost any part of Hagia Sophia. Now tourists can only access the second floor, where, in conditions of super-limited visibility, crowding on a small balcony, you can try to see the arches of the cathedral, mosaics of the Seraphim, semi-closed frescoes and other details, for which you probably came here. As a result, there is only one piece of advice: if you would really like to go to the temple, but do not want to be disappointed, try to do it together with a group of believers (they are allowed into Hagia Sophia for free) during prayer hours. Otherwise, given the huge crowds and the disadvantages described above, it is better to choose some other, more attractive place to visit. For example, the Chalmica Mosque in the Asian part of Istanbul. P.S. Photos of 2020 (1) and 2025 (2,3,4) are for understanding.

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Юрий Дк

Level 22 Local Expert

A place with a history of more than 1,500 years. It was built in an unprecedented 5 years, using technologies unique for that time. The interior and exterior decoration are austere and unique. The ticket is not cheap and there are restrictions on the form of clothing. The inspection takes place only on the second floor. Here you will see the scope of the structure, the remains of mosaics, a huge overhanging dome, columns with a tilt, Viking graffiti. Go up the sloping corridor. Unfortunately, the tourists are separated from the ground floor with a considerable number of attractions. Unfortunately, there is a division of people by faith.

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Артем В.

Level 4 Local Expert

The legendary Hagia Sophia! A place where you can feel the power of the spirit and faith, where Islam and Orthodoxy are united, a magnificent temple and monument to the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. You can't visit Istanbul and not come here.

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Ирина Щепелина

Level 14 Local Expert

Hagia Sophia is a place where time freezes If you ever find yourself in Istanbul, do not run for coffee (although this is mandatory), but go straight to Hagia Sophia. Believe me, no photos on the Internet convey the feeling of standing under its dome. You walk in, and it's like you're entering another world. The air is saturated with history: Thousands of years, empires, religions, destinies — everything is here. The light breaks through the stained glass windows, falls on the ancient mosaics, and it seems that even the stones breathe here. When you stand in the center and look up, it's not the height that makes your head spin, but the realization that this miracle has survived for centuries. It's not just a building, it's the living heart of Istanbul. Tip: come in the morning, while there are few tourists. Take an audio guide — it helps you feel the story, not just watch. And be sure to stay a little longer than planned. Just stand in silence. And then go out to the square, inhale the aroma of fresh simite and coffee — and you will understand why Istanbul is called the city of the soul. Hagia Sophia is not just a place from a travel guide. This is an encounter with eternity. 💫

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Валерия Бартфельд

Level 10 Local Expert

25 euros - access only to the balcony in the building of Hagia Sophia. 50 euros - a balcony and a visit to the museum on the side. A visit to the museum includes watching a video clip about the history of Hagia Sophia projected on the walls and visiting two small exhibition halls. The video is not bad, but I would like to pay attention to the layout of the interior of Hagia Sophia, which you run past while watching the video. After all, it is almost impossible to evaluate the interior from the balcony. When buying at the ticket office, you are told that it is better to take a full ticket (for 50 euros!), otherwise you "won't see much". At this moment, you most likely do not realize that all you can visit in Hagia Sophia is a balcony from which you cannot even look at the ground floor properly, since the balcony railings are fenced off. After that, you will move to the adjacent museum building. You will spend about 15 minutes in the Hagia Sophia building itself. Wonderful preserved mosaics will be available on the balcony for viewing. Studying them and moving along the arrows, the main thing is not to think that there will be some more overview part ahead. As soon as you come down from the balcony, your visit to the cathedral is complete. Then to the next building. So try to stay on the balcony a little longer. Prepare introductory information for yourself. The audio guide provided is not informative. The first floor of Hagia Sophia is accessible only to believers. Some strange iron structures are being built on the floor. The historical site is grandiose, but the organization of its visit is disappointing.

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Den Springman

Level 27 Local Expert

Must-visit in Istanbul! The once oldest Christian church in Constantinople was converted into a mosque after the Ottomans captured the city. Christian mosaics and icons are covered with fabrics, but not damaged. The huge temple has carried a sense of grandeur and monumentality through the centuries. You will have to stand in a long queue for the inspection, it is better to arrive in advance.

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Валерий Осипов

Level 7 Local Expert

A shared object. Don't believe the reviews. Outwardly, it's covered in crumbled plaster in places. There is no single style. There are cranes everywhere and restoration work has been going on for years. Inside as well as outside. They are not allowed to enter the center of the hall, because everyone is covered in scaffolding. A couple of saints, or rather what's left of them, and that's it. The rest are ordinary murals, patterns that don't represent anything. And for this, my family of 4 people paid 20,000 rubles and about 20 minutes of time! Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg is simply an unattainable masterpiece compared to this object.... For free! There are much more beautiful mosques in Istanbul, etc.

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Vasily

Level 9 Local Expert

It's beautiful, monumental, clean enough around, beggars didn't notice, seagulls the size of pterodactyls around, who aren't even particularly interested in your food. There is a tram line nearby, you can take it and ride to the pier below, where you can take a boat-takai and go to the other end of the city.

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Алексей

Level 6 Local Expert

It is impossible not to fall in love with the main pearl of Istanbul - Sofia! The splendor of Byzantium in all its glory! But when buying a ticket to visit, you will be assured that the cost is 50 euros, and for 25 only the balcony. Visiting Sofia for tourists is just a balcony! For the remaining 25 euros, you will get the opportunity to visit the museum, where you will be briefly told the history of the cathedral in headphones, under animation on the screens, which can be read for free at any venues. Don't be fooled by an unnecessary additional service, but visit Sofia herself, she's great!

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Никита Родзевич

Level 30 Local Expert

The 4 rating is more related to the price and organization of ticket purchase rather than the location itself. We got here in a terrible storm, all the self-service machines weren't working, and we were soaked through by the time we could get inside. The ticket for the balcony is 1300 lire, the ticket for visiting the entire museum complex is 2400 lire. Maybe I'm spoiled by Moscow's museum prices, but it was expensive for me. The mosque itself is a beautiful place, but now part of the interior is not visible, it is blocked by forests.

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Светлана Васильева

Level 6 Local Expert

An amazing structure, the disadvantages relate not to the building itself, but to its work as a museum. The cost in September 2025 is 25 euros, for this money you can go up to the balcony of the second floor and look from above at the central hall (since 2020 it is an active mosque), examine the remains of frescoes and mosaics. The disadvantage is that the ticket office offers to buy an "extended" tour, including a "gallery" - this does not mean that you will be given more to see in this museum, it means that you are being "sniffed" at a nearby new museum, where they tell the story of the temple (which can easily be found without it) in computer graphics. The museum is terrible from the point of view of convenience: the passage through 13 halls, there is nowhere to sit in any of them, you stand against the wall and look at another one with pictures floating on it. After a couple of halls, my head starts to spin (and everything is fine with my vestibular apparatus). Then the audio guide ends, and there is another floor of some objects in the windows (although they have a very indirect relationship to the temple). In general, the correct answer to the question of what you want to see is only the balcony, especially since you can buy a separate ticket to this second museum if you wish, and there is not even any discount for the purchase together: each part is 25 euros, a single ticket is 50. Moreover, it is limited in time to two days.

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Анастасия М.

Level 14 Local Expert

What a big disappointment, and for a lot of money. The condition of the building is deplorable, as if it is not being monitored at all. Due to the restrictions on visiting areas (the second floor for tourists, the first at the entrance for Muslim tourists in prayer, the center of the first floor for Turkish Muslims in prayer), there are huge queues, and it is inconvenient to consider the interior

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Елена Андрийчук

Level 15 Local Expert

The queue for tourists is located to the right of the mosque, if you stand facing it in the square. There was a small one in the afternoon in June, and we bought tickets in 15 minutes. But be careful at the box office, we were paying with a card and did not immediately see that we had been given more tickets to the St. Sophia Museum, which is plus another 59 euros for two. That is, the visit resulted in a very tidy sum for us. One ticket directly to Sofia cost 25 euros for June 2025. They only let you into the upper galleries, but that's a good thing, all the surviving frescoes are there. It's a pity, of course, that now it's a mosque, and you can't see all the splendor. If you close your eyes and imagine the radiance of that Sofia before it was plundered by the Crusaders and Ottomans, then it must have been grandiose!

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Диана Я.

Level 9 Local Expert

One of my favorite locations of the great city of Istanbul. An incredibly monumental building, with stunning architecture and history. A masterpiece of architecture! I definitely recommend you to visit

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Антон Лазарев

Level 10 Local Expert

Very beautiful architecture, both outside and inside. A must-visit place! There are always a lot of people, but getting inside, despite this, is quite easy, without long waits.

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Елена Орлова

Level 8 Local Expert

The oldest and most beautiful Orthodox church has become a mosque - everyone has already come to terms with this, that's how history turned. But why have they made the entrance paid now?! Moreover, it is quite expensive! Moreover, it is 3 times more expensive for foreigners than for locals. Moreover, they are allowed only on the second floor (now there are crowds here), and before that we visited both. Moreover, they covered the floor below with a green carpet... 🤦♀️ And finally, audio guides work really badly.… In general, the sediment remained insoluble, alas… But beauty was not killed - it cannot be killed even with such efforts))) We visited in May 2025.

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Александр Мещеряков

Level 11 Local Expert

A very impressive ancient building, being there gives you goosebumps from what you see. It is better to visit there with a guide who will tell you a lot of interesting things about this temple. Before visiting the temple, buy a shawl for the girls at the market (100-200 lira), because you will pay many times more near the temple, and you also need to have clothes covering your shoulders and legs.

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DiPosmotrel

Level 18 Local Expert

Hagia Sophia is a majestic place with a rich history. It surprises with the scale, beauty of the mosaics and the feeling that you are in the heart of world culture. The atmosphere is filled with power and grandeur, definitely worth a visit.

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avrelii9049

Level 6 Local Expert

Nowadays, they are only allowed on the terrace, from where you can admire the seraphim, partially restored frescoes, and so on. The presence of non-Muslims on the ground floor is not allowed, alas. The cost is 25 euros. The runes carved by the Nordic squad are easily found on the sides of the terrace. If you close your eyes, a picture immediately appears before them: a group of stern, frowning men with shaggy beards, weathered faces, dressed in furs and boiled leather, intently carving runes on the marble balcony railing, watching the Christian liturgy taking place below from under their brows. And behind the numerous windows of the floating dome, the gray cold sky reveals itself to be deep autumn. Runes are a historical reminder of the eternal nature of vandalism🤣 The grave of Enrico Dandolo serves as a reminder of the tragic capture of Constantinople by the Crusader brothers and its subsequent ruin, after which Byzantium rose from the ashes, which would later finally burn down in the struggle against the Ottoman conquest. It was an instructive story. And history, as you know, always repeats itself twice. Or even three times.. "An Islamic turban is better than a papal tiara!" -- the words of Luca Notara echo, as an example of the pride of the Byzantine nobility and the indifference of the Latin elite in the era of the final fall of Eternal Rome. However, let's not talk about sad things. Hagia Sophia, the heart of Constantinople/Istanbul, a place at the crossroads of two outstanding civilizations, where through thin matter you can still hear the echoes of bells alternating with the azan. At least once in my life, but it's worth visiting here, feeling the echo of thousands of destinies and faces, listening to the rustle of bygone eras and trying to hear the ancestors. A place of great Power. I highly recommend it.

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Super-mandarincka

Level 8 Local Expert

When I first saw this majestic cathedral, mosque, and place of power, I was overwhelmed with delight! Hagia Sophia is indeed an object of ancient architecture that you need to see with your own eyes. I managed to see it when the entrance was free for everyone and this place was a museum, it was great! The second time I visited Sofia, when it became a mosque and the entrance was already paid, many objects can no longer be approached, and this is sad. But it's good that people are praying in this temple again, no matter in what languages, it's important that this gives the place more meaning and significance!

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miroslavgurbi4

Level 7 Local Expert

I was in December of the 23rd year, it's hard to describe in words. The incredible beauty of mosque/cathedral architecture, especially when two cultures are combined in one building. In addition to the culture, I would like to note the size of this mosque: it seems small in the pictures, but when you enter it, you are simply shocked by its height. I also visited the nearby Blue Mosque, but it was St. Sophia that I liked and remembered the most.

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Марина сергеева

Level 14 Local Expert

We took an interactive museum tour and concluded that it would be great to visit the museum first and then go to Sofia. A lot of things would have been looked at differently.

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Hagia Sophia Mosque

1788 reviews