Santa Sofía Reviews

Breathtaking domes and stunning architecture, Hagia Sophia is a unique shining gem on the crown of Istanbul

Amazing place with an amazing history, make sure to check out the upper floor and some of the old christian relics and mosaics left after it became a Mosque. Expect a line because it is a touristy area (if thats a word) and it was also under repairs when I visited

Marvelous touch point of Christian and Islamic culture: the mosque was built as the biggest cathedral of the Byzantine empire and, after the Otoman conquest, It was converted into the present mosque, without demolishing the existing complex.

Beautiful building that is currently undergoing renovations. Still very worthwhile to visit though. If you want to avoid long waiting lines at the entrance make sure to come early in the morning or after 16:00. Make sure to visit the second floor for a breathtaking view of the main hall.

Can't imagine Turkish people is so kind to share this Byzantine piece of history. The coexistence of Byzantine mosaics and Khat art blend really well. Must see. Costing 72 TL(+45 TL) for audio guide rental inside). Buy with credit card using the kiosk will skip the queue.

It is a nice place I didn't give it 5 stars because I thought there were more stuff to see entry fee is 72 lira and there is another Ayasofya museum the entry fee along with the saraya is 72 lira

One of the reason why Istanbul is beautiful.. it's because of this Hagia Sophiea

Very beautiful designs and historic things. But the ticket is expensive.

Nice historical place to visit, but not baby friendly. There are absolutely no facilities for little babies which makes it very difficult for young families to visit.

Beautiful and with a huge history to tell,sadly is under maintenance at the moment of visit

Of course this cathedral is the first place to visit when you are in Sultanamet District.

Alor of money for nothing
Really
U spend 72 tl
And for nothing
So boaring
Not rare
Not exceptional

Wow, great experience, English video presentation helps to understand better

Amazing! I loved it. It is best to visit with some background knowledge, audio or guide so you appreciate every corner.

Amazing!
You have to come!

The best place to see art, culture, and religion! One of its kind!!

A historical location that everyone going to Turkey must see. The centuries-millennia of history behind the Hagia Sophia are amazing. To be close to it is to bathe within the aura of Byzantine emperors and Ottoman sultans.

An almost 1500 year old monument of incredible beauty served as a Greek Orthodox Church then as Roman Catholic after the destruction of Constantinople of the crusaders and now a museum . Many artefacts were stolen ( the horses in the San Marco basilica in Venice are from the Agia Sofia ) . Hopefully the new residents keep it in order because the last time I went was dirty and not respected as it should be .

The story behind this musuem and mosque carries with it the history of the country. It is not packed out in the afternoon surprisingly. It s a shame repair is dragging out for many years.

The construction and restoration works stole some of its charms

Aya Sofya is the best historical church/mosque/museum to visit in Istanbul. The mixture of Byzantine and Ottoman Empires just impresses me a lot. If you go to istanbul do not miss Hagia Sophia!

Good to visit if you are in Istanbul. I won't visit again though coz I visited once. Good one time visit

At this moment while every things is under renovation the hagia Sophia is the best to view inside.

One of the wonders of the world. If St Peter's in Rome is the mother of all churches then this is the majestic old aunt - it predates the modern Vatican basilica by more than a millennium and is rich with several centuries of Islamic history on top of its Byzantine roots. The main dome is gigantic and inspires humility. The very ancient early-Christian mosaics on the second level are also a must see.

What an enormous and beautiful dome! So impressive considering it was constructed some 1500 years ago. This is my 2nd visit, my 1st was more than 10 years ago, and I'm in awe still.

Enjoyed this place so much that I came back here thrice in the past 7 years.

A place full of history; you can see a mixture of Greec, Roman and Ottoman arcitectures in one huge structure.
You can count around 2 hours for a complete visit
Paying entrance, cash (15 ) or with Museum Pass (much better option=30 for all museums during 5 days)
Easy access for strollers and wheelchairs.
If you are interested in detailed history, audio guides can help you (~6 )

Was super super impressed however I just wish there was more information about the history of it

Not worth the entrance fee. Everything is more than normal and nothing special that worth the visit!!

I really enjoyed it there, is a very big museum, it's enormous!!

Once you go there and the first floor takes your breath away, then you should prepare your self to get more shocked at the second floor!

Amazing place, if you're Muslim or Christian, this place might make you cry. It is huge as well.

A must see experience, worth going, buy the museum pass and visit all the museums to get the best out of Istanbul.

Great architecture and history! Amazing experience I had visiting this place.

It 's not worth the money that You pay for it. The Blue Mosque is so much better and for free. Hagia is huge but not so beautiful as You think it should been.

It's a landmark you should visit it, 10 entry fee at thr time of my visit..

I have been there in 2015, An example of royal stature and secularism I must say..

Soo much history carved in the walls if this museum

Very interesting place, very special. A must.

I hired one of the tour guides. He was okay, somewhat informative, and allowed me to skip the line, though it seemed somewhat pricey for the 30 minutes or so that he was with me. I can't recommend for nor against getting a tour guide.

There's a nice view towards the Blue Mosque from the upper gallery, but it's easy to miss.

Well worth the visit!

Whenever you visit this place , it will always amaze you with new thoughts and flashbacks.

A great building but getting in is chaotic (local guides jumping queues, big tour groups milling around, poor sign posting and crowd control. Basic stuff.

Once inside, information is limited. I wasted time trying to download the audio guide app advertised on the info booths to find the app didn t exist. My suggestion that they removed the ad was met with laughter.

I guess it s just a bit amateur.

Such an incredible masterpiece!!! It is an impressive building with its structure that lasted over decades and decades! The dome is stunning and the original paintings are so shinny (as they are made of tiny gold stones). I had a very interesting guided tour and I highly recommend it! It is a tourist must-see point!

Nice place great historic place and a great place for photos.

Our guide told us that this was a church till 5th century later converted to Mosque till 1930 s and when people debated about it being a Church or a Mosque, the govt. converted it to a Musuem as we see it now.

Incredible from the outside & inside, entrance fee for Hagia Sophia is 72TL and must visit in Istanbul.

The ticket is about 35 lira (Around 10 USD). You will get a device which can be used to hear explanation from yout tour leader. By the time i went there it was under reconstruction. Because of that, you will find several spots are closed for public. There is a small caffee inside the hagia sophia. The toilet is located near the caffee. I would suggest you to visit it in the midday while moslems do their prayer. It is significantly reduce the crowd and you may enjoy it better. The second floor is accessible through a circular corridor in the left side of entrance gate. You may take a picture with your phone as long as there is no flash.

It's mixed culture and mixed between mosque and Christian. Because it changed to be mosque.
It's diffrence thing . Good place to visit.
I think ticket about 40 turkish lera.
I like it . You will take tour within 45 minutes it will be enough.

Amazing
regretfully no care or respect to the monument from the visitors and people's in charge

Impressive architecture and history in this Istanbul key monument in the old part of the city. I would recommend you read about it and its history (or hire a guide as we did) to get the most out of the experience. It is impressive to follow the history of the city through the details of the building. And do not miss the cats that live there (a staple of Istanbul).

Amazing place to understand Istanbul. Internally much more impressive than outside. Currently though there are some refurbishment so you don't see half of design

Oofff
It is a much more magnificent place here than its pictures.
You should be visit this.