Santa Sofía Reviews

OMG. this is excellent and cannot be described in words. Huge history and very very impressive place. I was really delighted to be there and could see the unfolded part of Turkey.

In comparison to the palace Hagia Sophia is much smaller and half of it is under construction so you do not spend much time here as there is not quite as much to see. It is still very impressive and well looked after.

An ineffably beautiful, magical and heartwarming place.

This place is good would advice a guide either a personal or audio to understand history of the place

It is spectacular place with its architecture, history,etc. definitely recommended!

it's quite a mix of islam and christian. very neat :)

Building is very impressive but there could be more in the way of exhibits inside.

It is enorm huge old church, today museum. Something special.

Great building with great history going back to Roman Times.

A beautiful tourist attraction with a beautiful view of the sea. Persistent shopkeepers and enterprising vendors ( friendly and not irritating)

Fascinating history, and the intricacies of the mosiacs is wonderful. Do this with a tour guide you can get so much more from the visit

A great place filled with historical mystique. The only problem was the catalogue was presented at the exit not at the main entry.

Its a must place to visit if your visiting the Blue Mosque.
The inside of Hagia sophia is beautiful.

It's not original as it Is mostly restored the colors are not the same

Truly exceptional place, overwhelming in size and might. Great mixture of Islamic & Christian religious elements. Visiting the upper balcony will give you a great view of the inside of this unique spiritual place.

It is a basilica turn into a museum. You can visit the second floor, the view is amazing, you can observe the ceiling, and the walls. In December there were some restoration work going on, but it still was impressive. It is one of the most important attractions in Istanbul. It can be crowded, but if you have Istanbul museum card, you have a shorter waiting time.

A perfect example of Byzantine architecture. Built in 537 AD as a Greek Orthodox Christian cathedral, later turned into an Ottoman imperial mosque and now is a museum. The admission fee is 60 Turkish lira, children under age of 12 are free of charge.

Great historical place! f you are in Turkey, Istanbul, you must visit this museum!

A very beautiful historical mosque and church, with an amazing architecture and wall art. A must if you visit Istanbul.

Amazing place. No matter how many times you visit it, it always makes an impression. I will go back whenever i go to Istambul

Amazing to see such a mix of Christian and Islamic influences

What a great place. Wondering how this could be erected 1500years ago.

This old building was incredibly awesome. The brick looks so old and historic. But when i visited this place late 2016, some corner was underdevelopment, so i can't see the full view.

Stunning. Amazing how beautiful it looks eventhough they are busy with scaffolding

Fascinating historical site. Would definitely recommend paying the extra and going on the tour to learn more about the history of what you're seeing (plus it helps you skip the queues!)

A big church turned to be a mosque and now museum is the proven of victorious Islamic era by Muhammad Fatih

So much history, beautiful architecture. Didn't want to leave!

An amazing place worth visiting. The jewel of Istanbul!

Good historic location, however some of the displays were just pictures of the artifacts and some parts were closed for restoration.

A very nice historic place rich with many historical status, pictures, walls, etc
Most visit when you go to Istanbul.

As an architect this was definitely part of my bucket list. It was heartening to see that a very serious effort is being taken to remove the horrible plaster and shoddy painting work to reveal the glorious inlay work. The grandeur of the central hall is awe inspiring. The various kinds of marble used on the wall in a seemingly random pattern got me wondering about the logic of it all. Overall a very enlightening experience.

Emotions came up! Beautiful pictures. Long history!

Very nice museum from inside. But there was a maintenance when we visited in tourism season (August 2019)

I visited this place over the weekend. It is a truly majestic sight. Hagia Sophia with its exceptional history constitutes a synthesis between east and west. This monument is one of the wonders of the world that has remained intact until the present day. One can find many attractions in Hagia Sophia interesting forms of Byzantine architecture, mosaics of the Christian period as well as structures added during the Ottoman era.

I personally found that hagia sophia is an idiomatic symbol of the turkish history. I entered inside the museum once, but every time i got the chance to just go and watch it from outside, i do.
Like the french says: "Majestueux..."

It was amazing hopefully soon it will be converted back into a Mosque. AMEN!

Breathtakingly beautiful place which can bring you to tears with its beauty. Can be crowded, but that takes nothing away from the experience. A must visit.

In love this gorgeous monument. Its overwhelming and a trademark of istanbul. Your visit to turkey is incomplete without a visit here.

One of the best places in the world, highly recommended

Very interesting history a wonderfull islamic architecture and culture a place worth visiting

Aya Sophia or Hagia Sophia, this great and holy place was a cathedral for the Christians, then it turned to mosque for the Muslims but until now they don t pray in it, there are a lot of maintenance works for more taking care of this very beautiful place. You can feel the spiritual emotions when you going through its corners.

A church for the Romans, converted into a mosque by the Ottomans- a giant cathedral that showcases elements of both that stands the test of time. Its truly impressive, with regards to it's architecture, historical and cultural significance, its vastness and grandeur. Honestly well worth a visit if you're ever in Istanbul.

One of the world wonders, while in Istanbul make sure you dont miss it! Maybe better visiting monday to friday to avoid long waiting lines for entrance tickets. The entrance fee is 40 lira. The inside offers magnificient enterior preserved from roman and ottoman period. There is also a gift shop inside.

Now that it is a mosque, you can visit it for FREE. 2 years ago I visited the museum for free with my card, but those who did not have a card had to pay between 60 and 120 TL. They have closed the upper floor but I still think it is a magnificent and spiritual place enough to visit. Muslims can also visit and pray in this holy place.

It was amazing most of the beautiful things I've seen in turkey

The Hagia Sophia is listed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. The museum will fascinate history and architecture buffs.

One of the great buildings built in 350 AD, a must to visit.

WONDERFUL! It's the inspiration behind my obsession with visiting this country, and it didn't disappoint. :)

It is magnificent, where the Bezentein history interacts with the Islamic history

Really the place you "must" see in your life. Planing to take my family there next year.

Still one of the most beautiful churches in the world!

I would've beaten myself up had I not taken the chance to see this. With that said, I wasn't amazed at much. It's one of those things that everyone does while in Istanbul and is more about the feeling of being in such a historic building rather than the building itself. If you're on the fence about going and paying the 72-lira fee, I'd implore you to do so. Maybe you'll appreciate it more than I did.

I felt incredible peace in this place and was amazed by the astonish beauty!

A monumental building, one od the most important cultures in Istanbul that talks about history of the city and history of Turkey. Incredibly beautiful and powerful, today serves as museum. In the corutyard of Aja is the suvenir shop and caffe bar. It is located right next to Topkapi Palace.