Santa Sofía Reviews

The place is magnificent and by night is magical. Worth to be visited :). Don't forget to buy along a pomegranate juice :)

One of the wonders of the world. Truly fantastic and finely impressive. When I saw it for the very first time I was speechless. A must if you are in Istanbul!

This Christian Church although older then islam, when muslims were trying to build their first praying buildings saw how beautiful and magnificent Christian Church Domes are, that they implemented/copied in all their mosque buildings 'couse they couldn't find anything greater and more beautiful. Hagia Sophia was the benchmark of the time. Russia before "Christianising" were looking for a religion to adopt and it was this very Cathedral that Saint Olga of Kiev and the Knyaz jawdropped and saw the devine Liturgy, they brought the Christianity to all slavic east Europe.

It was a lovely place , full of historical stuff , recommended place

Beautiful and historic. If you dont mind a 30 minute wait in line you can save around 30tl on 'Express entry' the cost for entry was 72tl each and the audio tour which contains decent information is 45tl each. You could take your own headphones and a splitter and save 45tl if you are tight on cash. If you walk around at a normal pace and appreciate the architecture this should take 2 adults around 2 - 2.5 hours. Without the audio tour this would probably half this time. It is always busy and clear picture opportunities are often few and far between with people moving throughout the building constantly. The park located less than 5 minutes walk from here is well worth a visit and on a nice day a bottled drink and bench makes a perfect combo to a good day out.

This is an unmissable museum. The building was constructed in 460ad and was originally a church, converted to a mosque. I cannot put into words how awe inspiring the construction and detail is. When you see how many eras in time this building represents your mind will be blown. The photos I attached simply do not do this place justice.

Awesome place and the most beautiful thers's entrance fee with 72 tl.but worth for paying.
Now there's still some part inside under construction.

As of 28-Aug-14, it is under renovation both inside and outside so can not see and feel it as beauty as usual. The ticket price is 30TL but I don't think it is worthy of it.

Very beautiful temple/museum. One of must scope in Istanbul

The epitome of Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia was the largest building of its time primarily due to the size of its dome. It was exciting to see this ancient architectural marvel during our recent visit to Istanbul. What intrigued me the most is the fact that the same building was once a Christian cathedral and later turned into a Muslim Mosque. The interiors have very intricate work on the walls and the ceilings. Lot of renovation was going on during our visit and one full side of the interior was covered with scaffolding. Many of the ceiling and wall works are lost but it was worth seeing the stuff that could be preserved since ages. We spent a couple of hours admiring the beauty of this place. It looked even beautiful at night. A must visit place for sure.

It's great. Not unbelievable though. I like the park and fountains around it.

It's a magical place. Everyone must visit atleast once in lifetime.

Hagia sophia is located in the heart of Istanbul. Where old structure previous a roman church, then after outaman empire its become a mosque and later now it's a museum. Worthful place to spend time there and see the old construction. Nearly you can find sultanahmed mosque or topikan place.

Hagia Sophia is an old church, then mosque with an impressively rich history. It is now made into a museum and visitors are free to wander around and sightsee to their hearts content. I would reccomend reading up on the history of this place before visiting to get the most out of your visit. Not everything is well explained inside. It is nearly 1500 years old.

Filled with tourist.. Entry is 72 TRY which is expensive. Easily accessible through tram from any part of city

Fantastic historical place, very fortunate that important parts of the original mosaics we preserved even as the place was repurposed as a mosque for a few centuries, and finally restored when it turned into a museum.

Built in 537 as a church than a mosque and now a museum
It was my first time here
To reach here is best to take tram t1 and u can reach Sultanahmet. Taxi is very expensive
Blue mosque basilica cistern kopkapi palace are near by
Entry fee is 65 lira but better take a combined museum pass for 119 lira
There r plenty of currency exchange shops that give good exchange rates. Dont buy spices in the vicinity its very costly
Please buy a good selfie stick if your going alone

Historical place which is maintained nicely. Beautiful view of marmar sea, golden horn and Bosphorus straight. Must visit and should be on your what to see in Istanbul list

Absolutely breathtaking! Most beautiful structure I have seen. Must visit!

It's such a humbling experience to see the history of two major religions under one roof. This place breathes history and I recommend visiting it if you're in Istanbul

Nice building architecture and monument with rich history

The place is stunning and definitely worth visiting the outside.



So I personally wouldn t recommend visiting it at the moment :(

Beautiful place, I recommend guide or audio guide, because it's a big place with hidden history

One of the greatest and most beautiful places i have been to would like to go back again in the near future

Its a wonder that this old mosque still standing with his great history. May be it is the first mosque which was a church once. Where the photo of Jesus Christ is still on the wall.

Better come in a first hour to buy tickets. Other time too much people

Hagia Sofia is historical building from Byzantine time, from cathederal to mosque and now museum. The place was big, beautifull and must seen if you are in Istanbul.

Difficult to ignore this piece of art that make you time travel 1500 years ago. Amazing, unrivaled.

It cost every lira .the history of this place is amazing i would like to come again to take more photo and set there do nothing and just spend time looking to the wonderful design. It was full house so i didnt have enough. Also out side it has a green beautiful area so you can relax and clear up your mind. The only problem that it is a big place and you have to walk a lot so you wouldn t enjoy if you are with kids or old people .

Strange mosque where you can smell the life of old centuries

Amazing place, that the Romans build such a vast inclosed space with bricks and concrete

Ayasofya (The Hagia Sophia) is the one of the important symbols of Istanbul. It should be on the "Must-See List" of the people who visit the city. The inside of the building has a very impressive atmosphere. Follow the queue, buy your ticket and enjoy the museum

It was a great experience to be standing in this historical place. There were a lot of maintenance work going on with huge scaffolding everywhere which detracts from the experience. This is a must see in Istanbul.

One of herritage from Unesco,many story for this place..good for tourist..must place to visit in Istanbul

Awesome place must visit if in Istanbul, one of the greatest views

Gorgeous place, full of history. Winding ramp to upper gallery is wonderful in itself. The light everywhere is amazing.

Lose yourself in this miracle that is Hagia Sophia. I took about 2 hours just to marvel at the grandiosity of this church/mosque/museum. It stands as proof that cultures and religions can respect each other and each other's histories.

Although waiting in line is complete chaos (pack your patience!), the inside will outweigh any of the bullshit you deal to get to the Ayasofia. A must-see for anyone coming to Istanbul!

Hagia Sophia Museum which has been a Cathedral and a Mosque, now is a magnificent museum. The interior is simply beautiful and splendid despite on going restoration works. Make sure you go to the upper floor for better view of this place.

Very fascinating. Currently some parts of it is under restoration. I like the upper floor where you can see everything below you

Very nice place that everybody who visit Turkey must go.

An architectural masterpiece. Be prepared for long queues. Say hello to the local residents- cats!

A great monument of architectural, cultural and historical value. Part of the interior was under renovation so that wasn't great. Its is still a mist visit in Istanbul as one of the major attractions. I would have loved if there were tours to the structures below the church itself. It is in a central location in Sultanahmet, and you can visit the Blue mosque and the Cistern Basilica in the same day.

Layers of history, empires and cultures. Could spend days in this amazing structure. Wish one could get a pass for longer than a day.
Oh and close to other fantastic places to visit.

I expected some more art or artifacts. But it's breathtaking and worth visiting.

Wonderful place to visit ,so peaceful and serene, definitely will revisit.

Better to find the local guide to show you around instead of the audios

The most holy and beautiful place in Istanbul. Everybody should visit it!

Learning Turkish history how Muslims and Christians used to use one place to worship

Rich historic value of the Museum makes it a priority place to visit while in Istanbul. Maintenance and upkeep is hallmark. Excellent transport links are available to reach there. location itself contains other Points of interest in neighbourhood.

A beautiful church turned to a mosque with the arts of the church still on the walls... A must go place when you're visiting Istanbul

Beautifull mosque n museum, artistic interior..
No 1 place U must see when visit Istanbull

Most visited monument. Huge, detailed and lots of history

One of the most historic places all over the world worth visiting.

wonderful infrastructure. How they could manage to build such a marvel those days! Definitely worth visiting.

Mashallah great mosque to visit. Was there for mid afternoon prayer. They emptied the whole mosque, cleaned the place, then let a fresh batch of people in.

This is not musium it is mosque it real name is aya Sofya. 4000 year later this is a charch on kostuntunoi

I love this mosque!! It's by far my favorite mosque in Istanbul. So beautiful!! It's a must-see. And I don't know if this is true year round, but it was free to get in.

What can be said about this phenomenal building of which the likes haven't rarely ever been seen in the world. Wade yourself into history, exploring a building built in the 5th century (yes, really) in only a couple of years.

Standing in the sanctum feels like you're at the bottom of a cavern, a hollow mountain. Even for those who are not religious like this reviewer, you cannot help but be overcome with a sense of spirituality and mysticism that his place permeates.

If there's one thing you are going to see in Istanbul, it has to be the Hagia Sophia. You cannot have missed the phenomenal mosaics, the incredible marble rivulets, the beautiful architecture and wall paintings. You will never forget this place, it is breathtaking.

Unfortunately this was underconstruction as well with no warning before buying the ticket (72lr). The queues were long to get in even an hour after opening (9am open). However, cost excluded it is a big attraction in terms of Istanbul's rich history. The explanations of the buildings history are well presented and there are options for tour guides and audio tours at an additional cost.

There is a lot of history behind the place and if in Istanbul you have to visit it. The architecture is also worth going for.

One of history's true treasures. The fact that it is over 1000 years old alone is reason to check this place out. There seems to be constant maintenance throughout the building but an interesting fact is that they use fallen off paint from original painted walls and murals and incorporate it in the repairs. A must see place and one of the wonders of the world!

An important landmark in history, a transformation from a church to a mosque is a unique one. Proof that both religions can co-exist. Although renovations are taking place, its still worth a visit. Do make a museum card before hand to avoid the long queue