Santa Sofía Reviews

Great view, It's NO 4 Dome Church. Must be go here.

In the late afternoon the light streams in through the west windows in an almost beam-like fashion, which makes for some great photographs of the interior.

Beat the queues and take a tour guide who will fill you with knowledge and a fascinating insight into this fantastic museum. Give yourself at least two hours to walk round

One of the best place in City. Inside, a small cafeteria and gift shop. Prices are a litle bit high. For example 25cc water 3

The grandeur, the sheer size is mind boggling. This seemed to me first and foremost an engineering feat of a beam less structure. Apart from that, the glass works, mosaic works, calligraphy makes you marvel at the skill of our human ancestors who built it again and again. You can see the shades of color on the faces done with mosaic work. The level of perfection at that scale in both Christian and Islamic art work is something to look out for. Painted domes always brings a sense of awe.

Of course, the amalgamation of religions and cultures in one place is unique and that is well known. Kudos to the maintenance and restoration efforts.

Really great place to visit whilst visiting turkey, such great history. We got the museum pass which was worth it if you are planning on seeing a few things on 5 days

So beautiful place were you can see Muslim architecture and Christian at once!

I was actually expecting a lot from the Hagia Sophia church but it was kind of disappointing as it was being renovated. Then we went to this old underground water reservoir (Basilica Cistern) and I was actually impressed, maybe because I wasn't expecting anything, but I think it was worth the visit. So if you plan to go and visit the Hagia Sophia, then also visit this place which is just next to it, but in Google my pictures showed up under Hagia Sophia, so that's why my review is here.

Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. Its interior is decorated with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings of great artistic value. The temple itself was so richly and artistically decorated that Justinian proclaimed, "Solomon, I have outdone thee!" ( ). Justinian himself had overseen the completion of the greatest cathedral ever built up to that time, and it was to remain the largest cathedral for 1,000 years up until the completion of the cathedral in Seville in Spain.

Justinian's basilica was at once the culminating architectural achievement of late antiquity and the first masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Its influence, both architecturally and liturgically, was widespread and enduring in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Muslim worlds alike.

It was just mesmerizing.. Amazing feeling when you enter there.. A must visit place

Nice place to see a lot of Interesting things!
The price was like 60 Lira and worth it.

Would definitely recommend visiting this one instead of the blue mosque. But

Hagia Sophia / was my primary reason to visit Turkey, and it was all I could have hoped for!

Hagia Sophia is so, so incredibly beautiful inside! There's a wonderful feeling there - partly age/history, partly religion, partly excellence, mostly beauty! They did such incredible things with the light, the detail, and the structure! There's a beautiful view at every step. I loved the interplay of Christian mosaics and Moslem calligraphy, suggesting that such harmony outside those ancient walls is possible, too.

Wiki states that HS was the biggest cathedral in the world for almost 1000 years. How in the world was this phenomenal structure built in 6 years?! Note: part of the interior is under renovation. The light shines in it like God's grace on a person who is wildly imperfect, but still reforming.

I used a solo tour guide (Emin (Eh-meen), if you can find him! 100 TL/30 mins). He was incredibly knowledgeable, eager to field questions, and hilarious. I loved every minute with my guide, and every solo minute in The Hagia Sophia.

An impressive structure, towering over you like the weight of the centuries. I couldn't go inside the museum, as it was the weekend there were long queues of tourists both days. However, there was a side entrance to a few sultan tombs, which was free for the public and didn't seem to attract too many visitors. Photos are from the exterior of the tomb and Hagia Sophia. Definitely recommend to visit, even for a walk around!

It was very good history lesson we had a great tour guide also

Such an amazing historical place where two religious met!

Thousand years of mankind history. Worth to visit and to feel the vibes of epochs gone forever.

Christian and Muslim place of worship very interesting

Fantastic place to visit. The insides of this place are so nice. Crowds are bit large at times but considering the place, it is very nice.

A jewel of an icon-the splendor of Turkey represented in Haiga Sophia(AyaSofya). I loved it.

A truly magical experience! I walked in the doorway and was immediately taken by the vast expanse of this ancient masterpiece. Another tourist site accessible by tramway. Just hop on and head towards the sultanahmet area. A definite must see in captivating istanbul.

Beautiful place, lot's to see, definitely worth to visit.

A must watch historical place for all travellers. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the order of the Byzantine emperor. Latter on it was converted into a mosque when the Constantinople was conquered by Ottoman Emperor Mohammed in 14th century. So visiting this place is a journey to the great history.....

It's worth visiting,,, try to avoid public holidays,, and a good guide makes a different,,

Nice place you should Waite till you got your ticket

Absolutely beautiful. A great piece of history and must-see when in Istanbul.

Wonderful mosque, you must visit but remember that entrance isn't free and you must properly dressed and women must wear a scarf.

Visit it in the morning - the que is much smaller. It's a unique monument, masterpiece of ancient empire. Hopefully the Turks will finish with the recovery of the golden Christian mosaic with all saints. It must be there, and not hidden by the coating the ottomans made above it. Take your time, this is Saint Sofia of Constantinople :)

Amazing place. Lots of historical items of Islamic significance.

So interesting to hear the stories behind the mosaics

Truly impressive. But beware of the long lines at the entrance

First church then mosque and now museum....lots and lots of history. Be patient and stroll. You will love the place.

Hagia Sophia, once an Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, then a mosque and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey.. good place..there is big domb and when you go inside, the structure is huge..names carved for Allah, Muhammad and the 4 khalifa..u can go up as well..the location is behind the topkapi palace, and in front of blue mosque..1min walk from bus station, and 3 to 4 mins walk from metro station..big bus stop is also there

Entrance is 72 Liras.. Fast track entrance 105 Liras. Guided tours are also available, which will help you to skip queuing. There are plaques insde the Museum in English _ to make it easy for you to relate what you see . There are no artifacts in this museum, its just the building and the mosaic deco and painting on the walls. It is under renovation now, so couldn't enjoy it as it should have been. It a wonderful place to see when in Istanbul (Obviously).

Impressive bizantic architecture, nearly 2600 years old. Mind boggling.

On the left when you enter ticket area, there is a ticket machine, no need to wait for line, but only credit cards accepted, ticket price is 77TL, which is around US$13,24 December 2019.

Worth the visit, it will take around one hour, don t forget to visit upper level. Public toilet available on site.

Its a beautiful place, make sure to capture pictures! I loved it in April, it was breezy weather.

An awesome place and one of the best places in Istanbul

Wonderful experience
Historical places

Amazing to visit. Watch out for the local street scams. Other than that I felt safe visiting this great city.

Absolutely amazing. Worth seeing and exploring. Layers upon layers of history.

Beautiful church/museum/mosque. It has a lot of histories. It was a very long que at the enterance, but quick as it took around 30 minutes only to enter. It was more beautiful than blue mosque...

Amazing place to visit. So much history in one place.

If you love history, its a must visit place. .. little crowded but beautiful.

Wonderful history. Make sure you get an official tour guide. They know things that are not mentioned on the signs.

To be honest the place is lovely but I never pay attention to it.. Never get into detail about the place.... I suppose to some it is amazing... But on the whole turkey is a very big tourist attraction

One of the most important treasures of humanity. Everyone should visit this breath taking building.

A 1600+ years old structure! There's more than enough reasons to visit HagiaSophia.

A must to visit. You Visit to Istanbul is not Counted if you have not seen this place.

Would recommend going early in the morning, so you don't have to worry about all the people cutting in line. Be ready to use your elbows!

Huge museum (well it used to be a church, then a mosque and now as a museum) consisting of beautiful mosaic art of the christian era and magnificent art of Ottoman's time. I highly recommend to see this place twice.

So much history inside a single building. From the Greek to Romans to Vikings to the Ottomans, each left their mark in this monument.

Nice church/mosque transformed into a museum. There is a lot of queue, try to go early or buy fast track tickets. A lot of guides will come to propose you a visit and skipping queue. We did it but it's not really worth it... Better take a fast track ticket and an audio guide

One of my favourite places in the world. There is so much history and energy in the air. This was my 3rd time visiting this place, unfortunately there was some renovations going on , so the left side of the interior was covered in scaffolding. If you only have a limited time in Istanbul then this place is No.1 on the list of sites to see. Rich in history and meaning, this site will not fail to amaze you.

Beautiful, worth the admissions fee. Books about istanbum are much cheaper here than in the bazzar

Get a tour guide! Generally they are not very expensive and make this experience so much more meaningful. A tour guide will explain and point out many historical details that you would otherwise miss. The Hagia Sophia is full of rich history and should be a must on your Istanbul tour list.

Beautiful place with impressive architecture. You can clearly see remnants from the days when it was a mosque and a church. Being an AC player, this was definitely a must-visit!

The Hagia Sophia was absolutely beautiful. Definitely worth the line and price, I wish that I had grabbed a guide (audio or person) though so that I could have a better understanding of what I was looking at.

If like historical and religious things..do visit it. Things from our beloved prophet (M.P.B.U.H) , Hazrat Aysha (R.A ) and many other things.Entry is a bit expensive..But must see

It's a weird thing to review but if you like art, history, culture and tombs then this is the place for you. It was like stepping into my AP art history textbook. It was amazing. Even half covered in scaffolding, whatever, it's always going to need renovations. Don't miss this.

Awesome, historical site where u can still find the signs of church and mosque at the a time and same place.