Santa Sofía Reviews

This place is showing very clearly the prosperity of the old History

Most combination of the biggest religions. Spectacular beauty.

Incredible structure and history! Amazing that it is still here today

Some areas inside are under renovation so you cannot appreciate its beauty to the fullest. There is option for audio tour for a better understanding of its history.

One of the Interesting places you must visit in Istanbul..

What a absolute historical wonder. It has been up for over 400+ years and the structure is still fully standing. It was beautiful to see all the artwork

Amazed to see two great religions culminating under same roof.

Amazing place.. such history so moving.. must see!!

Hagia sophia seem dis organise and the entrance fee is too expensive.

A very historical and important place for followers of Islam and Christianity

It's a awesome place but the time I go there was under construction , so covered up most part

Amazing museum! Expect to spend at least an hour there. A tour guide is recommended.

Nice place but there is a long queue for tickets so one should reach there early morning to avoid waiting in a queue.

Apart from the entrance fee, if you want to borrow one of those self-guided recording machines, you have to pay an extra fee as rent. I did not rent one; and did not regret that much as the interior of the museum is not that big after all. There is a free video corner next to the hall and you can still get useful information from the video. Construction was taking place inside the hall.

Hagia Sophia, built in 537 AD. It is a marvelous piece of history. Once you step in, it feels like you've gone back to the Byzantine period. You can do the line or pay a little extra and get a guide at the entrance. It will help you skip the long line and to understand the history of Hagia Sophia.

It is worth a visit. Beautiful architecture. Used to be a Mosque and now it is a museum

Didn t have a wheelchair accessible entrance and exit, we offered our passport to get a guide but were declined for no apparent reason, not very good security as they checked everyone and stopped a lot of people however just opened the gate to my dad as he was in a wheelchair, if a terrorist was going to make an entrance he could easily do so if he was in a wheelchair, lots of stray dogs one of which bit my dad, were not allowed to take pictures of certain parts of the museum but that is the same in a lot of museums so it s just a side note you should be aware of, the museum itself was also not ideal for a pram or wheelchair as there were steep stairs metal poles near the exit and the floor was basically wavy. All in all not the best experience but good that they have kept such an important building standing, great tourist attraction.

Historical place. Would recommend to read about the history of the place which will help to relate more details.

Its amazing how the place had served as a mosque and church. I was scared of the pathway one needed to take to get into the main hall.

#tellguides its very big and it was a church at first then change to a mosque and now its a museum ;P

Even though it is called a museum there is very little actual displayed there. It is basically an empty building with some art work on the walls.

There is also a LOT of areas closed off for restoration, but little actual restoration work going on.

Very crowded and not worth the entry fee.

A truly unique historic site. Make sure you pay for a guided tour.

All fine, but expensive, if not planned before the visit. So, better of with 5 day pass for all sites included.

A global landmark and rightfully so. So enchanting and mesmerizing. I just wish there was less scaffoldings and restoration closed areas.

Nice places and good to see amalgamation of culture.

Amazing experience to visit this centuries old museum

Amazing travel to the past and to see how amazing the human build in the history.

Of course, you must go. My favourite part was some 2000 year old graffiti

It was OK - just OK. I expected a bit more for the price (72 Lira) and it's currently being renovated so you don't get to see the whole place anyway. It's still an amazing old building tho.

Yes visited both Sophia n Topkapi palace. Its amazing .The way it is maintained inspite of thousands of tourist coming daily. It shows people were genious dince the begining.

A ancient historic church turned into a mosque, if you prefer you can take a tour guide lots of them wait outside looking for clients, if the lines are long you have the option to buy rapid entry tickets outside, but check before to make sure the lines are really long, we were told it's a half hour wait time and we should get the rapid entry tickets, but I decided to check it out first and there was no wait time at all.

I had an amazing experience this place. I simply loved it.

Brilliant to visit with extraordinary history.

Given the amount of restoration required and the 72TL entrance fee, I would have thought it would be more advanced with more modern techniques used for crowd control and site interpretation (wayfinding).

A must visit.. U can buy tickets online to avoid lines.

Great place to visit. Quite expensive entrance fee.

is there a possibility to set 20 starts? I think no but this is a case when it is the right rating. the museum is just majestic, unbelievable great. everyone must see it

It was a bit noisy as there was construction/maintenance work at the building. The building itself are well maintained and equipped with good info, which brings the visitors to Byzantium and Ottoman era. A Must visit museum.

An adorable and lovely confluence of twins great religions. It's all there and thanks God that they have converted it into a museum.

This is amazing and beauiful itself. I ve never exprienced this kind of temple. You can jump into the did-age era when you are look up the ceiling and step on the floor. You must visit there. The sooner the better, the earlier the better.

One of the wonders of the modern world!
You cannot go to Istanbul and not go to Hagia Sofia. It is stunning. The history - it has been both a church and a mosque and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, mosaics, and size make it breathtaking. Queues can be long. It is not open on a Monday

Absolutely breathtaking. The interiors are amazing which hold so much history.

One of a kind!
My favorite Mosque in Istanbul.
Beautiful even when it is partialy being repaired at the moment.

The most amazing history behind the church to mosque to museum transition.

The architecture and history speak for itself. Amazing!

I liked it, I didn't choose the last star because of the too-high prices .

Stupendous museum with long vibrant cultural history. Make sure you arrive early in the morning to avoid rush at ticket counter. Spend some time listening to its glorious past on the left when you enter through main entrance. Few areas inside the museaum might be restricted because of renovation work. Definitely worth your time when you visit Istanbul !

Ticket price 72TL about 12 , in one day you can wisit and Topkapi palace

Hagia Sophia is the most amazing monument of Istanbul. A must-see place for the first time visitors. Make sure to visit the upper gallery where Christian mosaics are and of-course the mausoleum section which has tombs of several Ottoman Sultans.

If you purchase the museum pass or attend to a guided tour you don't wait for the ticket line- which sometimes can last about 45 minutes. And finally, don't forget that Sophia is closed on Mondays.

not that stunning when it compares to some stunning churches in Europe, but it is still an awesome architecture by that time.

Must-go in Istanbul, but under construction all the time!

Centuries of history and an example of great architecture

This is a mesmerizing place to be! Very touristy! Be careful of any fraud! Don t fall for them! They will always try to take money out of you.

The most interesting historic place I've ever seen.

Beautiful historic place. But there was too many people in queues so I decided to just watch its amazing exterior. If I would do it again I would go in the early morning.

A charming interior ambiance with an impressive mix between christians and muslims
A Recommended place in Istanbul preferably to book in advance to avoid the long queue

Outstanding. Undergoing repairs, not all mosaics on view. #hagiasophia #istanbul #mosaics .

I have visited Hagia Sophia many times. It never gets old. Amazing architecture.

Definitely a must see. Fantastic architecture with so many fantastic sights and things to experience. Try to get there early to avoid the queues. Get the istanbul museum pass if you don't have one. You can use it for 5 days at numerous museums. This will also help to avoid queues later on at the other museums. I do recommend getting the audio guide if you are not joining a group. You will miss a lot of detail hidden inside if you don't get the audio guide

You shouldn't miss the place and the history as well

Must visit on a trip to Istanbul! Beautiful interiors and history.

Nothing worth for 72 lira ticket, the ticket should be maximum 25 lira

Amazing place Was really crowded.... Shops near by are Soo expensive .They are business oriented . Basically if you hire a guide and pay extra money you can cut through the line ....it's too bad fo the people who stand in line they have wait for so long . And guides charge really high...
The museum is really amazing and interesting .

Most beautiful place in existing! True history teller, with highest respect of all nationalities! Everyone should visit it!

If you're Muslim you may like it, if you're Greek, don't bother. You'll go to see it as it's a church however you'll be beyond angry and disappointed. Go as early as possible to avoid. Queues.

It's was amazing, historical place. I wish go back there once again