When in Istanbul, visiting Hagia Sophia is a MUST. Not only is it one of the most remarkable buildings on the planet, but it also has a long and fascinating history, plus incredible architecture.
This post is your Ultimate Guide for visiting Hagia Sophia
Where is Hagia Sophia located?
The Hagia Sophia is located in Sultanahmet, on the European side of Istanbul. The area is jam-packed with incredible historical sites.
Take the T1 tram line and get off at the Sultanahmet stop. From here, you can access the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, and also the Basilica Cistern.
Best Time to Visit Hagia Sophia
The protocol for visiting the Hagia Sophia has changed since January 2024. It is now open for tourists from 9 am to 7:30 pm.
On weekends, starting on Friday, expect long lines. There’s a line to buy tickets at the kiosk. And then a second line-up, which is often longer, to pass through security. Even if you are part of a tour or have hired a tour guide, you must clear the security check before visiting Hagia Sophia.
To avoid huge queues, visit after 4 pm on Monday, Wednesday or Thursday. Tuesdays tend to be a bit busier because nearby Topkapı Palace is close.
The ticket office stops selling tickets around 6:30 pm, but an hour should be sufficient.
Do you have to Pay to Visit?
Unfortunately, yes. When Hagia Sophia was converted back into a mosque in the summer of 2020 (from a museum), tourists could enter for free. But as of January 2024, foreign tourists must now pay to enter to help cover the upkeep of this nearly 1500-year-old building. There is a ticket kiosk near the main entrance gate to Topkapı Palace.
Visiting Hagia Sophia: What Can Tourists See
Tourists are now only allowed to enter and visit the top floor. The views are still spectacular, and you can again see some of Hagia Sophia’s most famous mosaics. Unlike other mosques in Türkiye, tourists can visit during prayer time as they no longer have access to the lower carpeted sanctuary.
At the ticket booth, you can buy an entrance ticket for just the Hagia Sophia or a duo ticket that allows you to visit both the Hagia Sophia and the Hagia Sophia History Museum.
The nearby Hagia Sophia History Museum is accessible from the Hippodrome. It has cool audiovisual effects that take you back in time and an array of ancient artifacts.
If you are in Istanbul for longer than three days, the history museum might be worth a visit. Otherwise, with so much to see, prioritize other places like Topkapı Palace, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, and Galata Tower.
Dress Code to visit Hagia Sophia
When visiting Hagia Sophia or any mosque, you need to dress modestly. Wear loose-fitting clothing, and ensure that your shoulders and knees are covered. That means no shorts, short skirts, yoga pants, leggings or sleeveless tops. And you must remove your shoes before entering any mosque. Never step on the carpet with your shoes on.
Women also need to cover their heads. Tie a pretty scarf to your purse strap so you’re ready to visit any of the city’s incredible mosques.
Many mosques provide loaner head coverings and robes. Look for the rack beside the tourist entrance.
Unfortunately, the Hagia Sophia doesn’t offer loaners, but they sell inexpensive scarves and robes made of a paper-like material. While not fashionable, the robes are perfect for covering up an outfit that is not deemed modest enough.
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Where to Stay in Istanbul
Istanbul is a huge city that spans two continents, but most major historical attractions, like the Hagia Sophia, are located in Sultanahmet. This is a great area to stay for first timers.
Hotel Sultania
Conveniently located in the heart of Sultanahmet Hotel Sultania is one of my favourite hotels. I have stayed there three times.
The T1 tram, Hagia Sophia, and the Blue Mosque are all less than a 10-minute walk away. The rooms are beautiful, and the decor will make you feel like you are a guest at Topkapi Palace. Some rooms even have their own hamam. And their Turkish breakfast is vast and absolutely wonderful!
Celine Hotel – Ottoman Mansion
The Celine Hotel is less than a 10-minute walk away from the Hagia Sophia (the Blue Mosque is even closer).
It is decorated with late Ottoman decor but with modern touches to make you feel completely at home. The standout is the staff; they are uber helpful and want to ensure that you have a wonderful time in the city. You can’t pick a better location to explore all of Sultanahmet’s historical sites.
The bonus is DaRoute Coffee, located on the bottom floor. Here, you can relax with a wide array of hot beverages and desserts—the perfect place to recuperate and indulge after a day of touring.
Another great hotel in the area is Albinas Hotel Old City. My brother and his wife stayed here and raved about the Turkish breakfast and fantastic views of the Blue Mosque from the rooftop.
Or you can stay across the Golden Horn near the Galata Tower and the historic pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesi. You’ll find more restaurants, nightlife and shopping in this area, known as Beyoğlu. My favourite hotel here is Pera Neuf. I’ve stayed here twice and loved the stylish, cozy rooms. But be warned, there is no elevator.
21 Amazing Facts about Hagia Sophia
One
What Does Hagia Sophia Mean?
Translated from Ancient Greek, Hagia Sophia means Holy Wisdom. When 21-year-old Mehmed the Conqueror first entered the great church in 1453, it had been standing for 1,000 years. Sultan Mehmed II also spoke Greek, and understood the meaning of Hagia Sophia, which he kept when it became a mosque, Ayasofya Camii, in Turkish.
Two
The third time’s a charm
When visiting Hagia Sophia today, it is the third church with the same name built on this site. Its predecessors were both destroyed during riots. However, the remains of Hagia Sophia #2 can be seen outside the current structure.
Three
less than six years to build
Emperor Justinian commissioned the Hagia Sophia in AD 532 and built it in less than six years. Justinian was a bit of an insomniac and micromanager. He separated workers into two teams and made them race. As a result, this extraordinary cathedral of Constantinople was consecrated in December AD 537.
Four
An almost impossible dream
The church of Justinian’s dreams was outrageously improbable. The Hagia Sophia’s massive dome sits on a square base, with an enormous rectangular sanctuary below, unencumbered by bulky support columns. It was also built on a major earthquake fault line.
Justinian’s architects were Anthemius of Tralles, a brilliant mathematician and Isidorus of Miletus, one of the greatest geometers of the time. Supporting their genius was a 10,000-strong workforce of stonemasons, bricklayers, mosaic artists, painters and sculptors.
Five
World’s largest cathedral
For a thousand years, the Hagia Sophia was the world’s largest cathedral. Its enormous dome is 55 meters high (180 feet) and 33 meters in diameter (108 feet).
The Hagia Sophia changed architecture forever. It inspired Mimar Sinan, the Ottoman’s most brilliant architect. Sinan studied the structure and used his learnings to construct the Süleymaniye Mosque on a nearby hill. But his masterwork is the Selimiye Mosque. Located in the former Ottoman capital of Erdine, northwest of Istanbul, the Selimiye Mosque’s dome height matches that of the Hagia Sophias.
Six
As it turns out, the Hagia Sophia wasn’t earthquake-proof
Twenty years after it was built, Justinian’s golden dome collapsed. Surprisingly, the new dome, designed by Isidorus the Younger, was even bigger. It’s 6 meters higher with a ring of windows to reduce the dome’s weight. And it’s the same dome that you see today.
Seven
No expense was too great
Back in the 6th century, construction costs for the Hagia Sophia were 320,000 pounds in gold. Converted into today’s money, that’s $8 billion (USD).
Eight
So much gold and even more marble
While it’s breathtaking today, imagine visiting the Hagia Sophia in Justinian’s time. The exterior was clad in marble, so approaching ships could see it shimmering atop the city’s first hill. Meanwhile, inside, the ceiling glowed with millions of pieces of golden mosaics, and multi-hued marble covered the walls, floor, and columns.
The historian Procopius, who saw Hagia Sophia with his own eyes when it first opened, called it a ” spectacle of great beauty.” In awe, he said that the enormous dome “seems not to be founded on solid masonry, but to be suspended from the heaven by a golden chain.”
Nine
the Imperial Gate
The Byzantine Emperors would leave their Great Palace and pass through the Vestibule of Warriors. This is where the Emperor himself left his sword before heading into the vaulted interior narthex. He’d then enter the inner sanctuary through the grand central door, the Imperial Gate. Only the Emperor and his attendants used this Gate, which had doors allegedly made of wood from Noah’s Ark.
The Imperial Gate is on the lower floor and, unfortunately, is no longer accessible to tourists. It can now only be entered by those heading inside the Hagia Sophia for prayer.
Ten
Look up and see angels
Four massive Serphims hover on the four pendentives, the concave triangular structures beneath the dome. Together with the two semi-domes and the four great arches, the pendentives allow the Hagia Sophia’s massive dome to appear as if it is floating over the sanctuary. The serphims are six-winged angels, believed to be the guardians of God’s throne. Two are mosaics, and two are replicas.
Eleven
The Guardian Angel of Constantinople
If the old tale is true, an angel guards Hagia Sophia. During construction, a young boy stayed behind to watch over the worker’s tools. A handsome warrior approached and promised to protect the tools, church, and the city until the boy returned.
When informed, the boss sent the boy home and told him not to return. The man realized the warrior was actually a guardian angel who’d provide eternal protection. And the Hagia Sophia is still standing nearly 1500 years later, so maybe the story is true.
Twelve
Viking Graffiti
The Norsemen were the preferred bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperors, called Varangian Guards, valued for their size, strength and loyalty. And one of them left behind some graffiti that is once again visible in the upper gallery. The old Norse runes have been worn down over the centuries. The only legible part is “Halvdan,” meaning the Viking was half Danish. Best guess is that he wrote, “Halvdan was here.”
Thirteen
Emperor Justinian & Empress Theodora left behind their monograms
Of course, you need to know what to look for; it’s not quite as easy as spotting a heart with the initials J&T intertwined. Look up at the gorgeous lace-like column capitals. There are 140 columns in the Hagia Sophia, and no two are alike.
The monograms, which are written in Greek, are still visible in some of the capitals. Even if you can’t figure out what they mean, you can admire the beautiful intricacy of the ancient stonework.
Fourteen
The longitudinal axis is oriented to the rising sun on the winter solstice
The alignment of light from the sun rising on the winter’s solstice has been important since the stone age. You can also find this light pattern at Newgrange, the burial mound in Ireland, Machu Picchu in Peru and in Egypt at Karnak’s Temple of the Pharaohs.
The first light on the Winter’s Solstice in the Hagia Sophia passes through the nave to the Imperial Gate, exactly where the emperors entered the great church.
Fifteen
The Omphalion
In Greek, Omphalion means “navel of the earth.” You’ll find one when you visit the Hagia Sophia. It was here that the Byzantines crowned their emperors while standing on the 32 different-sized marble circles made of red, green and gold stones. It was also where Mehmed the Conqueror placed his banner upon entering the Hagia Sophia for the first time.
Sixteen
The Empress’ Lodge
The Empress’ lodge is located in the upper galley above the Imperial Gate, centred between a pair of marble pillars. On the floor, a large disc of green marble marks the spot where Byzantine Empresses watched the services and ceremonies below.
Empress Theodora was the first to stand in this spot. The intelligent beauty was Emperor Justinian I’s great love. She came from a humble background and had great influence on her husband and his empire, including improving the rights and lives of Byzantine women.
Seventeen
In 1204, Constantinople was sacked by A ninety-seven-year-old blind man
The elderly but determined Enrico Dandolo, the Doge of Venice, led the Fourth Crusade. He and his men looted the city and its churches. They even snagged the four bronze horses from the nearby Hippodrome. These bronze stallions were shipped back to Venice, where today they reside in St. Mark’s Basilica.
Meanwhile, Dandolo died in Constantinople. His grave market can still be seen in Hagia Sophia’s upper gallery, but his body has long since disappeared.
Eighteen
The last Christian service took place on May 28, 1453
Just before midnight, Constantine XI, the last Emperor, prayed inside Hagia Sophia before joining his soldiers on the city walls. He was never seen again. The Ottoman artillery breached the walls of Constantinople just after dawn. Sultan Mehmed II entered the city on the afternoon of May 29 on horseback and rode straight to the Hagia Sophia.
Nineteen
Surviving mosaics
Many incredible mosaics survive today, thanks to the Ottomans, who converted the church into a mosque. Figural mosaics are not acceptable in mosques, so Christian mosaics were plastered over. Fortunately, the plaster helped preserve them.
When Atatürk turned the Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1935, the mosaics were restored. One of the most famous mosaics is the Donation Mosaic above the door in the Vestibule of the Warriors. This is on the lower floor and can still be viewed before exiting. Look up to see Jesus on his mother’s lap, flanked by Emperor Justinian and Emperor Constantine.
The Deesis mosaic is visible once again on the upper floor. Only one-third remains, but the faces of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and John the Baptist are still visible.
Twenty
The Ottomans did a bit of redecorating
Mehmed the Conqueror added a wooden minaret to Hagia Sophia in time for his first Friday prayers on June 1, 1453. Today, there are four stone minarets. Mimar Sinan designed the two minarets on the western side.
The mihrab, or prayer niche, is off-center so that it faces Mecca. Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent added a pair of enormous candlesticks on either side of the mihrab. Eight large green and gold calligraphic roundels bearing the names of Allah, the Prophet, the four Caliphs, and the Prophet’s grandsons are also visible.
On either side of the entrance are two colossal marble urns from the ancient city of Pergamon. And the elevated Sultan’s lodge close to the mihrab looks a bit like a gilded birdcage.
Twenty-One
church, mosque, museum & Mosque again
For 85 years, the Hagia Sophia was a museum. But it converted back into a mosque on July 24, 2020. Since then, a massive Turkish carpet in a gorgeous turquoise-green hue covers the marble floor.
Istanbul has so much to see, but visiting Hagia Sophia is a must. For 1,500 years, it has been adorning Istanbul’s first hill like a rosy, eternal jewel. And it’s waiting for you!
Where to take the best pictures when visiting Hagia Sophia?
pathway between Hagia Sophia & Blue Mosque
If you are headed to Istanbul and love discovering local cafes, then check out this post on Seven Amazing Cafes to Visit in Istanbul.