Santa Sofía Reviews

Its under renovation for the last 2.5 yrs .... Bit of an eye sore !

Good but not worth visiting. Can visit in half an hour.costs 60 TL which I consider much more money than it should be. 20 TL should be ticket cost. But as tourist one must visit

Such a nice architectural marvel. It is amazing how people were able to build such a building centuries ago.
Such a history all over the place. I gave it 3 stars because of the renovation works that is taking place over there , I guess it's really a hard job to preserve and rehabilitate such an old structure. Regardless the place is totally worth visiting and spending few hours.
Just make sure to be there early because some of the sections get closed early before the closing time of the rest of the museum.

This impressive building from the 6th century has to be seen.

The best basilica for more then 1000 years... I kinda agree with it as it was built diligently on that era and time period. Was an amazing Orthodox church with Byzantine architecture and converted to a Mosque after Sultan Fatih Mehmet conqueror Constantinople and change to Istanbul. The is for me is the great history that this incredible city change their name. Besides I would like to say this building is absolutely one of the most visited museum that should be visit by all tourist who came to Turkey. Without this important building your Turkey tour or visit never complete. The building itself tell so much of story. Every wall speaks their own self history and all living relics are remains with their important roles in info to tell their parts. It very important building in world history and for me you should visit this one first while others will be 2nd

Great Museum (actually Mosque) for getting familiar with Islamic Architecture and its interesting story, from Roman Empire up to Ottoman.

Very cool church museum very historic but not much to see.

I loved architecture... its beautiful..one must visit if in Istanbul

If you are Christian is the first thing you should watch..the ticket is cheap enough..when you pass through the big door you feel like you are in a different era..the Turkish musulmans and atheist treated this church so bad but you still can enjoy and see how it was the old days..they vandalized the church tho and I feel like in some years they are going to destroy anything magnificent this church has..I feel so bad for those people tho they have culture they have no humanity..they live in destroyed houses ffs...if you just try and ignore these pathetic people you will see the magic this church and this city has from the old days..

Beautiful edifice, rich in history and culture. Anyone who visits Istanbul,Turkey should check it out

Wonderful, beautiful. Wow! Definitely worth a stop.

Amazing but not too much to see, disposable information is too little, you'll need a tour guide or an audio guide.

Sophisticated Greek design with ottoman architecture layer

Amazing place i loved it
the old church and the paintings touched my soul

Amazing experience. Take out a good 3 hours to fully explore it.

Unbelievable! You look at it outside and see how big it is, but then you go inside and understand that it is even bigger. And than you just can't imagine how people could build it in the 6th century - it's so high and enormous! But this is not only size - then you start looking at every detail on columns, mosaics, paints, lights - all of these just make you breathless.

Absolutely must see in Istanbul, from the majestic building from outside its beautiful inside. Its a unique place with unique history, highly recommend.

I was so thrilled standing in this 1,482-year-old building. Hagia Sophia had been used as a cathedral for over 900 years and as a mosque for almost 500 years before changing to museum in 1935. I don't need to describe anything. Hagia Sophia can speak for itself.

one of the historic places one most visit in Istanbul. consider taking the service of official tour guide. can save you time of waiting in line and will give you great info.

Disappointing and too expensive for not much. Calling it a museum is a real reach. I could have left it off.
Also, there was quite a long line to get a ticket, and people just kept cutting the line by walking straight through to the ticket windows. When I notified the staff they didn't seem to care at all. It could be an easy fix if anyone bothered to make a little effort in their job.

Amazing place and a must visit if you are in Turkey. The architecture is mind blowing you cant wrap your mind on how this place was built so long ago. The history of the place and the different conquest is very interesting. There are guided tours available. Islam and christianity are both highlighted in this beautiful mosque. The muslims were very respectful by keeping some of the Christian symbols incorporated in this building.

Even though it is under repair works you can still see interior and will be amazed of its beauty

This place has so much history and interesting fact plus it looks amazing even for people of all religions. Must visit and take private tour to get as much details about it as possible.

Beautiful and fantastical historic elements seems some thing out of a fairytale

The place is historical and nice but it is very crowded during the hazards of covid-19

Higlight of world culturel heritage, upper gallery has a good perspective, professional tourist guides may help you to upgrade your experiance ...

Considering the history of this place it s a must see if you go to Istanbul

Most impressive, a must-see. Very historical place with an interesting story. Part is under reconstruction and the entrance fee is a bit steep.

It is amazing and unique. If you go to Istanbul, be sure to visit this place. You need at least two hours to visit here.

a unique place to visit, once of the wonders of the world in my opinion

It was a church basically but a pretty one.with views from top. Thumb tower in it. Dont spend to much time on it if you plan to visit other places that day.

A must visit even if your not into history. It's one of the oldest buildings I have ever been in and the surrounding is just beautiful. The local amenities like food is also not super high and is cheap compared to some tourist attractions. I absolutely loves it and couldn't stop taking pictures.

A lot of history in this place, needless to say. However, the audio guide could use some upgrading with better sound quality and more informative content.

Fantastic mix of different styles and religions, majestic in size!

Totally worth it

It you have a credit Card my advice skipe the line by taking a left on the gate you can find a guy standing next to a ticket machine, faster easier and works

Very old building in Istanbul. Great ornament, Christian and Islam. Must visit in Istanbul

To have historical touch in mind one should go there to visit the ancient architectural beauty. Its the glory of Turkish people.

Loved this place, not a museum kinda person but this was amazing. So much history, art and architecture gone into this church/museum.

-1* for all the construction going on and still full price

More could be done to showcase this attraction as an example of 2 great religions sharing common values

Such a beautiful and serene place. A must visit on your trip to Istanbul.

Still under renovation...did not know until when ..

I loved being in the middle of such a historical building but I was a bit disappointed in how it was set up. Half of it was under renovation and there wasn't a lot in the building to explain the significance of certain aspects. I think there's a lot of potential there but it is not being used to its fullest potential.

Today is still on restoration, hopefully it will finish soon and we can see the beautiful of this heritage

Historycal building for some religious, still on a renovation progress, hope gona be a better condition

One of the best places to visit when you're in Istanbul. Very beautiful achitecture, you'll enjoy it !

It is better to be there early in the morning to avoid the long queue

One of the top three places to visit in Istanbul. The other two are Basilica Cistern and Bosphorus.

So beautiful. Loved the paintings chandeliers n tiles...

Breathtaking place. Unfortunately when I was there, there were some restauration works, so I was not able to see whole museum. It is absolutly amazing to visit a building which was built more than 1500 years ago and have survived few empires. Definitly a must see place in Istanbul.

REALLY WORTH VISITED.....about 300 years church then about 600 years mosque then museum.....fantastic ...moments from imagination

Way better than the blue mosque. This place is soooo beautiful! It is a must see. The audio guide gives a lot of information.

Long wait but it definitely worth the wait.
1. Can you imagine it was a former Greek Orthodox Cathedral and then it become an Ottoman Imperial Mosque?
2. Can you image it had been built for almost 1500 years and it still erected in the modern days?
3. Well, I could not and I learn all of these once I enter the museum. It is a legendary building which is filled with rich history and beautiful architecture and design inside and out.
4. Make sure to take a guided tour as you will learn small details about the museum,.
5. Make sure to bring cameras to take magnificent pictures and be early if you don't want to line up

Excellent, glorious and full of spiritual feelings.

Great place, great history. Ticket price 40lira, I absolutely recommend this place, if you are in Istanbul you should really see it.

Must visit if you are in Istanbul and interested in the history of Othman empire.

Rare to see a place of worship met requirements of Christians and Muslims....

It is absolutely georges. There is a bit of construction going on now which makes some places inaccessible but it is a must see if you can't come back at a later time.
Make sure to grab an audio guide. I totally regretted not getting one.
Also, visit their Museum shop. They have cool stuff and friendly staff.

An exquisite place for people who want to know Islamic and Christian, and Istanbul history

Very well maintained museum that offers a unique view into the history and culture of Turkey and Islam. Fascinating.