While this is indeed one of the must visit landmar...

While this is indeed one of the must visit landmarks in the beautiful city of Istanbul, what they do not tell you in You Tube videos or the tourist guides is the massive renovation work that is in progress. This is easily a 5 star landmark but I am giving it 4 due to the huge and ugly scaffolding and the noise of the renovation work.
Get here first thing in the morning and you will be able to escape some of the crowds but I doubt if anyone gets the chance to visit the place in complete peace. My hotel was 5 minutes walk but when I reached the gates before 9AM, there was already a line of 30 people or so. I didn't take a guided tour but will recommend it for a better experience. Otherwise, you are bound to jostle for space between thousands of Instagrammers/selfie obsessed tourists.
All tourists will probably visit this site at least once but it would be good to set low expectations from the start otherwise the crowds, noise and
the huge/ugly scaffolding may disappoint some people.
For uninterrupted views and less people, I recommend Suleiman mosque during the visiting hours.
Do not get me wrong, the place is beautiful but the crowds and the scaffolding may spoil your experience.