Santa Sofía Review

So much history and culture. Hagia Sophia makes for beautify viewing!

Protected by UNESCO this beautiful building can make you feel the glory of the recent past. Unfortunately due to political reasons and the present state in Turkey this building is being damaged by covering all the historical state of arts that remind it is a n orthodox church.

Great mosque/ church
Alot of history there

Such a great historical place that you can find many stories in each side of it

oh this mosque area is stunning, i love the atmosphere, the architecture, the history. this is one of beautiful mosque i've ever seen.
before you come into the mosque area, there are police who standby.

Definitely a must see. Get the museum pass to skip the lines

Greatest Icons from Antient times still upstanding against coming centuries

One of the most beautiful places in the world...It represents the history of transformation of the religions in Turkey.

Historical inaccuracies! Nothing about the real old buildings and churches which used to he here.

Amazing amalgamation of Christian and Islamic cultures under one roof. Beautiful architecture. Loved it.

Restoration in progress, your photos of the inside of the building will have scaffolding!

The most gorgeous Orthodox Church in the world. So proud as a Greek and Christian Orthodox. It s the best monument in Constantinople. You can feel the Byzantine legacy and of course as a Greek you can read parts of the scripts on the walls. Turks destroyed much of the Church, such as scratched the faces of Holy Saints, but still, the Church is ICONIC. Tip: DO NOT give your money in Turkish guides as they know little about history. They avoid key worlds such as Byzantine, Greek, Greece, Emperor, and generally they just provide you false facts .

A place that is filled with history and culture. A must drop by point in Istanbul.

This place is probably the most famous tourist attraction in Istanbul, an amazing place that you need to visit regardless if you like history or not. You can only buy ticket with cash here, line to get in wasn t too bad. I think it was 40 tl to enter and 50 tl if you wanted an audio guide! There is of course guided tours there as well

Impressive and a great place to visit
One of my favorite places

Very historic place, love the architectural style of it but still under construction part of it. But a must visit once in Istanbul

Very bad experience un friendly staff and very bad at dealing with tourist

One of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen if not the best

Don't know what I was expecting but found nothing exciting there.

The iconic place of Istanbul. If you haven't visited here, you have not been to Istanbul. Very appealing place.

Best and a must place to visit once u hit sultanahmet place

It is a good place to visit, every person wanna pay 40 turkish lira(=11$) to enter, it is better to take a guide because he will tell all the history of this museum, and no one forget to go upstairs and put finger in s hole will turning and make a wish.

No explanation is necessary. Just great but good to know that it is not open every day and there is a long que.

Beautiful building with a rich history. I bought tickets from a local guide in order to skip the long waiting line, which worked quite well. The local guide (170TL) told us interesting things about the building as well as 'interesting' side notes. E.g. the library of Alexandria was destroyed by the crusaders and wounded IS (Daesh) soldiers are recovering in Israeli hospitals....

One of the most amazing and fantasy places of istanbul. If you are going to Istanbul you should try this museum. Long history. Beautiful architectural design. Amazing lights. Fabulous atmosphere. I loved this place alot. Its costs 60 turkish lira per person. Sounds little too much bit it deserves. You'll feel the voices of this place when long time ago lives in there. Emperors. Different religions who runs their emperor. Kings and sultans.

Beautiful inside and out, great history, Islam meets Christianity.
Take your time, enjoy the architecture, go to the second floor, and take it all in. Oh and take lots of photos.

very well structures designed and excellent maintaining preserved .

It's amazing sight to visit, located infront of the famous blue mosque.

Great history! Simply in awe on seeing this marvel of a creation!

It is huge. I was there when it was dark outside so maybe the lightning is different inside then during the day, idk. On the inside it's soo beautiful. It's a must see in Istanbul. The entrance is free.

Awesome place for tourists , can find many local delicious food , traditional things related to Ottoman Empire , had awesome views inside and show the Romanian history and the muslims history

Photos are from the exterior of the tomb and Hagia Sophia. Definitely recommend to visit, even for a walk around!

Such a wonderful Masjid it is. Love to be there again

Wonderful experience - church, mosque and now museum. Hagia Sophia is a place of living history.

Wonderful! A great place to see Christianity and Muslimism in one place.

A stunning monument. Be at the entrance at opening time to beat the crowds.

The dome is covered up so you cant see the main attraction.

I'm an American whose never been to Turkey. I saw this beautiful work of architecture in 'The Protector' on Netflix. Would be nice to visit in person someday.

If you are in Istanbul,
For sure you must visit this. The beautiful architecture and the history of it makes you feel awe.

One of the best places to admire well preserved mosaics which are very old

It's a cathedral that became mosque and now a museum
A place that every should visit in Istanbul

Gorgeous and not to be missed.
Do not be deterred by the queue,it actually goes relatively quickly.

Pne of the most breathtaking historical visits that you can visit in Istanbul that stands as a testament of the great Roman architecture in the Eastern Roman Empire. Despite changing its nature from an Eastern Orthodox Christian church to a Sunni Islamic masjid subsequent to the Ottoman conquest, you can still see and enjoy the original architecture and iconography. This could easily take a few good hours, be prepared to be amazed.

Must visit place I. Istanbul. The only downside is, it is under renovation. So view can get obscured. Especially on the left side.

Amazing history. Serene place. Recommend paying more for a tour guide for detailed history.

It s breathtaking. The building is so majestic and full of history, culture and art. Every detail tells a different story. You will not be disappointed.

An extraordinary feat of architecture and decorative arts.

Epitome of Byzantine architecture. Excellent place to visit.

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.

Under renovation inside over 50% of area. Not worth to visit if you expect photo opportunities.
Huge disappointment this time

The place with the most of the history and the place of the birth of the turkey of today

It was my fist traveling in Istanbul from 5-7 Oct 2018, I stayed around Arasta Bazaar of old Istanbul. Bosphorus Cruise, Aya Sofya, Topkapi, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque and Turkeys Culinary tour, It was too short but an enjoyable traveling.

Hopefully it will be better when the restoration and renovations are complete.

Must visit site while it s still a museum, entrance is 60 lira about 10$, totally worth it.

This place deserves to gain acknowledgement as the 8th wonders of the world

An impressive building 15th centuries old. A must see if you are in Istanbul.

A very crowded and touristy place but a must visit when in Istanbul.

We had an excellent tour guide who summarised the main parts with humour - fully worth it.

Breathtaking experience. So much history and so much greatness. If you love Turkish history, it's one of the amazing historical place. Enjoy the place and its greatness without rushing your time. You will be amazed from what u will see.

Nice to visit as least once. Huge Dom with mixed cultures inside during different periods of Turkey

Istanbul is a city of contrast in every way and the Hagia Sophia must be the epitome of the irony. Beautiful 7th century religious monument that has changed hands between the orthodox Christian n Muslim so much so that the whole mounement has influence of both religion. The architecture is simply stunning and I would definitely say I'm in awe. The presence of well preserved mosaic motif should be a highlight that complements the stunning masonry and design. Absolutely brilliant!

Seeing it in person is a must.

What a beauty. An artistic site.
Was amazed to see the grand architecture. A piece of art, extremely beautiful and majestic. Tourists from all over the world were there to witness the beautiful site. It was an experience of its own. The team on duty to assist the tourists were very helpful.

I would want to go to Istanbul again and revisit this place for sure. Also they issue a tourist card on which you can visit this place and multiple other museums and alike historical sites on that card.