Santa Sofía Reviews

Absolutely fantastic and stunning place to see. Low entrance cost, a bit of a lineup but it does move quickly.

It is totally amazing what was built here in 600AD*. The tourist guides are correct in that it's a 'must visit'. But it's also overcrowded and it was low season . Thus the experience was compromised by the fifth star.

A wonderfull blend of styles. Worth to visit if you are around.

I simply cannot say anything bad about such an important place for Christianity, being the largest cathedral of its time. Not only for christians, but also for muslims it is a witness of the history of this incredible city of Istanbul. It is in a good shape for its age (almost 1000 years old). The price of the ticket (40 Turkish liras) is justified by the fact that, because of being so old, there is a general worry that an earthquake will damage it hardly, so there is an entire project dedicated to conserve it. Inside you can see relics of both muslim and christian eras of it, the famous Deisis mosaic, the imperial gates and mythical columns that are said to cure a number of illnesses. In conclusion it is a must to see in Istanbul!

Main museum is going through renovation , Avoid Holiday and weekend rush if you can as queue can get real long. Headsets are available for guided tour. Although 72 lira entry fee seems on a higher side. Location is accessible through tram. So if you are visiting Istanbul on your own , purchase Istanbul Cart and you can save a lot of money on transportation as well as visiting these attractions.

A really beautiful place, with interesting history, I just think they either should have a guide or a bit more information about it, like at least a leaflet with more information about the history of it.

Good place four tourism but road is very small...have many people can be walking because is trafficjump

Excellent mix between Islamic and bizant architecture

Being in Istanbul? This must be on the top of your list. So much history!

Another historic place to visit in Istanbul, Turkey

Anything I say is not gonna be new... Worth the visit!

Good place to visit. To open your eyes to understand what is religion.

Visited for the first time but it's really beautiful piece of work. It'll be closed from first of November until further notice. It clearly needs a lot of restoration work. We were lucky to visit it days before closing.

Beautiful. Old. Historic. Must see. Christian and Islamic history side by side. What more can you ask for? The line might look long and usually is but they do a good job of keeping it moving and you won't wait more than 30 minutes maximum, on a normal day. Located just a few hundred yards from the blue mosque in Sultan Ahmet square, it is a place you must see if you are you in stanbul or Turkey.

There was something just surreal being in a place with so much history. This is a must see.

It's Good... Everything was Clean and Organized...A Trip to Remember.

Great place, nice, superb interior. One of destination place that must be visited while on turkey

these days Hagia Sophia is under restoration therefore you may not get access to all areas however tro to climb the ramp to go upstairs

Fabulous to look at from the outside but not really worth the money to go inside. Spend your cash elsewhere.

It was great to know that the exact center position was moved about 20cm from the origin center mark due to several times of earthquake

They are working in it but it's beautiful in the inside ans outside

I first saw this building as a wee lad in the Britannica . When I arrived to the side door of this magnificent building, I uttered "At last I have found my way to you ". Just a superlative . You need not be into "old buildings" to exit with your jaw on the floor.

I went to Istanbul with a group from Yale and as an architect, I was staggered by Hagia Sophia. Fortunately, I was able to go back alone and experience the space with no one else in it. The only sound was the whoos-whoos of the pigeons inside and I stood there hearing in my mind the rush of history and expecting the huns to come crashing thro the doors any minute.. Surely Hagia Sophia is one of the few great buildings in the world and I am so happy to have been in it.

Very nice church-turned-mosque-turned-museum. Try to avoid the tourist crowds by arriving real early.

One of the magnificent buildings I've ever visited. So old and yet so beautiful.

What a fantastic place, steeped in history, religion and drama. The visit here was awe inspiring and humbling. The Agia Sofia depicts the wonders of human abilities when we are determined and consecrate our acts to God.

Historically significant but ordinary arrangements and presentation. The cafe teria inside the premises charge exorbitant prices, one lira mineral bottle is sold for 14.
Tourist may keep less time to visit this site.

According to many deserves to be one of the wonders of the world! It is truly magnificent.

Huge place. Lots of history that seems to be in constant restoration. Buy your tickets online ahead of time to skip the line. Then go through the bag security check area. Go upstairs to take the better pictures. Tons of YouTube videos to learn the history too as the tours seem to be alot longer than needed. Many will also try and sell you their tour guide services outside too if you really want one.

By night a different kind of beauty. Explore the interior (entrance with a fee) and see for yourself the history of this city, shaped by the Byzantium and Ottoman Empire. Lots of tourists with lots to see and explore. Top floor is also open to visitors. Must visit.

A magic place where the Europe culture meet the Asian culture.

For $40 Liras a person you get to witness some amazing architecture. Was the largest cathedral in the world when it was built. Inside many of the mosaics are covered up by plaster but you can still see a few. Give yourself at least 2 hours to walk around and enjoy. Audio guide is $30 Liras

In rennovation when visited. Badly needs it. A restauration process is in order.

Was happy to see Mother Mary and the Son in a mosque

You can't go to Istanbul and not go see Hagia Sophia! It's a must! Beautiful orthodox church with great history that leaves you in awe!

Very busy, calm, centered place with a nice cool breeze during summer time. Also center of city near to grand bazar in Istanbul.

A great historicsal place. Must visit when you are in Istanbul

Pure history. Walk on the steps of the great emperors. Have a guide for this place to understand the secrets of this amazing piece of art!

No words can describe what was going inside my chest walking into such place.. the history inside the walls.. the heritage was in the air.. it was.. I'm just speechless...

However.. there is a problem in the queue line even after paying extra for the fast track..

Turkish people can be very rude and unhelpful for no apparent reason..

Be careful from theirs and conman.. they are everywhere

Unique Religious site at first created for Christian's and later converted to a mosque. Today it is a museum.

....and then the byzantines loose this great city from ottomans hordes.

The exit is a bit confusing. The signs are not really visible at first. Huge building to explore the history of religion. Interesting mix of styles.

The first place to visit in Istanbul, it makes you think how beautiful Costantinopolis was.

This place is hardly a museum, museums have artefacts and descriptions and curators. This place merely has security guards and an entrance fee, it's a church of course and has been adopted as a place of prayer by multiple religions. It's not impressive, and there's not much to see. I have to compare this to the other places of worship I've seen around Europe... Hagia Sophia doesn't rate well, 3 stars is generous. If they even finish renovating the place, it might be worth 4 stars, but this place looks like it's been stripped out and had stuff pilfered over the last 100 years so there's nothing left. The only things you're likely to get out of this place is disappointment and sore feet. (I will add we attended with a private tour guide, and the history didn't help).

What can I say Justinian made this... It's old and still incredibly impressive as can be... Would have been even more spectacular in its byzantine days.

I felt kinda sad when I heard the news that they converted it to mosque but I think it should've been left in a previous neutral state as a museum. Neither mosque nor church just something that can be equally sacred for everyone.

Given its history, I can understand its value and significance but I don't think that its status is something that should be played around with every other century to see if it looks better as a church, museum or a mosque.

Istanbul is such a beautiful, fantastic and historic city that I adore. It has no shortage of tourist attractions and especially mosques that are on every street corner so why add another one???

Beautiful and spectacular. A must see if you're in Istanbul.

Yes, this is a historical Infrastructure. Every day thousands tourists visit this museum. If you want to visit this museum you may have to wait in a long serial for ticket. So be ready! It was the largest church of this world. Still now this is 4th largest.

It was a church for first time. Then it transformed as a Mosque. From mosque it became church again. Then it transformed in mosque again. After the establishment of modern turkey it is using as a museum.
In the museum you will see the sign of church and mosque.

One of the Perfect places in Istanbul... Prepare your phone or photo machine , there are best landscapes here...

heritage site, very cool. from basilica to mosque and now museum.

Go to the level above to get an amazing view of the whole museum! Absolute must when visiting Istanbul

Nice place, great architecture but in my opinion 60 Lira is expensive for what is offered

If you like visiting history, this is the place for you. A church mosque museum with so much history..

This has to be top of the list to visit. Get a guide because you'll need some explanation to get the best from your visit. It's fabulous.

Beautiful place to visit will cost you around 60 Turkish lira. Expect some parts to be more crowded than others.

I love this unique church where you can see both the christian and muslin construction. It s incredible that we have this from 1600 years ago

The outside is more impressive than the inside. Most of it is already aged out

Once a church then a mosque and now a museum.This architecture has seen so much and been an enjoyable experience