Santa Sofía Review

Truely remarkable. Takes one back to the Roman times..

there is no explanation about this place. Everyone knows that historical past of the istanbul. When you are in hagio sophia, you feel the ottoman and konstantin breath together. Istanbul = Hagia Sophia. Mix culture. the oldest history of the world.

Great history behind this amazing place. I only wish they would provide more information for visitors!

Beautiful place and a must-go destination in Istanbul. Blue Mosque looked nicer from outside but nothing could beat Hagia Sofia from the inside.

always take a guided tour! the place comes to life with the stories

Just amazing and beautiful. Have to see to experience.

Probably the most important icon of christianity in the world. Unfortunately it has been neglected by Local authorities. Visitors are allowed to walk everywhere freely thus damaging the monument. Also the muslim symbols inside are an insult to the church since this is a pure Christian temple. Generally speaking, the authorities should treat the monument with the same respect they require visitors to show to all the mosques around the city.

Beautiful place beautiful people plz subscribe my channel miratif baloch in YouTube

very historical, amazing place, due to restorations couldn't see it properly.

You gotta visit this place. But being very honest, it's worth to pay the fast track for 30 Turkish Liras more and avoid the huge line. It's amazing how it was transformed from Christian times to Islamic. Even the paitings were changed to show the dominance of Islamic art. Worth the visit.

Hagia Sophia is considered a unique monument in world architecture, and its magnificence and functionality has been a good example in construction of countless Ottoman mosques. 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.

Very beautiful place to visit. Long time ago it was a church and then it was turned to mosque. So you can see signs of both religion. Only few places has these characteristic. I recommend visit this place if you go to turkey. Very peacefull

Absolutely, it's one of the most important historical, spiritual and cultural building all over the world.
It deserves to be visited.

Hagia Sophia was a church of the Roman empire which was converted to a mosque after the conquering of Constantinople by the Ottomans. The original paintings of Jesus Christ, Saint Mary and John are still retained in the museum.

Great to see, but not when its under reconstruction with all the scaffoldings

Very interesting place where two religions shaped its face.

Costs 72 lira.

I was literally overwhelmed by the magnificence of this formerly Greek Orthodox Christian cathedral and later Ottoman imperial mosque. Built in 537 AD it was the world's largest building and an engineering marvel of its time. Epitome of Byzantine architecture!

One of the most important buildings in Istanbul and a world heritage site.mosaics with gold ,the magnificent dome.most of all the atmosphere.look for the museum's
Cat,a tabby.

Absolutely magnificent and beautiful! A masterpiece of mankind that shows the fusion of Eastern and Western architecture style with a beautiful byzantic influence as a unique compound!

The most iconic place in whole of Istanbul. The place used to be a church and got converted to a mosque and then to a museum. Absolutely love how the amalgamation of two cultures, two empires is shown. The high ceiling, round lights and frescos will sure transport you back into history

A great place for tourists and a must see when in istanbul.

Magical, beautiful building cant wait to go back after lockdown

What a wonderful sight, everything you touch or can see is solid marble, the different cultures who inhabited the building is there for all to see. If in Istanbul you mustn't miss this. The great thing is that so many of these wonderful sights are within 5 minutes of each other.

Amazing place inside with lots of chandeliers adding to a great vibe.

A bit of reconstruction being done however.

There are two floors here with plenty to see and lots explained on videos and little scripts.

A must see if in the area

Historical Museum where you can explore the past moment of time...

Beautiful place, so peaceful. Try visit in the morning to avoid queuing up in the afternoon.

Very good landmark which still in its original shaped

Nice place shows the mixed Turkish culture between Christian and Islam

the price which is 65 lira is too high. not worth the price. nothing much to see except eroding marble structures

Must go with a guide to understand history and reason for everything there.

Breathtaking architecture! You will not be disappointed.

A major tourist destination. Your stay in Istanbul wouldn't qualify as satisfying unless you spend as day visiting the Topkapi palace, the Sutanahmet archaeological park and Hagia Sophia. It's charming, majestic and inspiring at the same time. No need to follow a guide and listen painfully to all the information they are bound to spill as per their job...I recommend you read a little about this magnificent site and then you visit with the most serene mind to enjoy the magic floating there all over the place! Instagram @profnasr

The diverse history of this place is immensely fascinating.

Very beautiful place. Must visit. We enjoyed being there.

An amazing place, that could give you a more clear perspective about time and culture. LOVELY

One of the most astonishing buildings in the world. It's immensity and its architectural prowess is unbelievable given the fact that it's 1500 years old!

Amazing historical place to see Christianity and Islam under one roof.

Beautiful architecture.The Hagia Sophia, whose name means holy wisdom, is a domed monument originally built as a cathedral in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) in the sixth century A.D.
It contains two floors centered on a giant nave that has a great dome ceiling, along with smaller domes, towering above.
In its 1,400 year life-span it has served as a cathedral, mosque and now a museum. When it was first constructed, Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. This state, officially Christian, originally formed the eastern half of the Roman Empire and carried on after the fall of Rome.

Hagia Sophia was a Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque, and is now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey.It contains two floors centered on a giant nave that has a great dome ceiling, along with smaller domes, towering above.

Beautiful although it was having work done I will definitely go back again.

Fineness, diversity and beauty!
You feel so small and insignificant when you enter this unique place, particularly because of its high ceiling! As Haghia Sophia used to be a cathedral then a mosque, you will see there few items, paintings and decorations of both Christian and Islamic backgrounds, which gives this place a unique ambiance for all visitors. You'll need to go up on the second level to better see the main yard of the place and to better appreciate its beauty. The way the light enters from its windows adds magic and spirituality to this place!

From outside it looks very interesting, but from the inside they have been restauring it for more than 20 years. There is nothing to see.

The exterior may not be impressive at first sight as it looks kind of modern but the inside is amazing. The mix of different styles and cultures can be appreciated. There is no many information inside, so a guided tour or audio guide would be recommended but is not needed to appreciate the place. If you buy the MuseumCard you'll save money and time if you visit many of the museums included.

Its the most important place for orthodox Christians.One day the muslims will return it back to them because prophet Muhammad(saw) commanded the muslims never to raze , touch or change other religions places of worship including cathedrals.This has to be the greatest injustice carried out by the ottomans against the orthodox Christians,which future generations of muslims will strive to correct , as the Orthodox Christians that are monotheistic, keep beards, are not proud and still hold on to their monastries (are different from western Christians)as described in the quran have strong love and affection towards and for Muslims and will make an alliance with the muslims to fight the zionist gog and magog and their false massiah(other than jesus/isa)the anti-christ

Amazing historical place.
Feel so good to see Christianity and Islam melting in this great building.

Huge dome with old painting is stunning.
You can see combination of Islam and Christ.
Unfortunately this has been under repair job inside. So it is difficult to take a good view of pictures

Its istanbul guys. Ofcoz you must visit. Its very historical place. But there are some minor restoration take place in the mosque. The lighting is beautiful. Very warm place. Nice to tale picture. The ticket price is about 72 lira. Come early to avoid the crowd. The museum open at 9 a.m local time.

Undoubtedly a world wonder!

Wonderful!

I was expecting much more to see but disappointed. I mean its not bad but i cannot say that 40tl well spent.

Best experience ever, friendly people, good food and beautiful places

This place is the number one of the sights to must view in Istanbul. It is amazing in terms of grandiose architecture with the synthesis of antique, Christian and Muslim culture.

Historical building from the Bynzantium era, located in the heart of the old city of Istanbul, one complex with a Hypodrome Square and a Blue Mosque. The building was use as a catholic church, mosque, and now function as a museum.

Must see in Istanbul. Make sure to go to the top floor to get a better view. A bit expensive for what it is is but don t let that put you off

No doupt, it's one of greatest places of Istanbul. But not received any scheme or broshure with some explanations in entrance . Audio guide is additional cost.

Beautiful and absolutely worth the visit, but keep in mind it's partially closed, like as for 75% of Istanbul heritage - as usual for restoration, and as usual with no one in sight working on it. You pay the full price nonetheless.