Merhaba Travelers!
After sharing the first part of my Istanbul journey a few weeks ago I finally finished the second part which will focus on one of the most impressive and famous Mosques around our globe - The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Camii). As this monument is historically so interesting it definitely deserves it's own blog post.
In this post I will share my experience visiting this place and hopefully give you guys some helpful suggestions/recommendations which may make your visit as smooth as possible.
Location
The Hagia Sophia Mosque is located in the old part of Istanbul around the Faith district. It's on the opposite of the other famous Sultanahmet Mosque which is currently closed for visitors. You can easily get there by Tram or/and Metro. The entry is free! (Don't fall for any ticket scams)
Entry
- Opening Time: Mo-Sun 09:00 - 22:00
- Ticket: No tickets needed, the visit is entirely free
- Tours: You can get a tour guide at the entrance or book online (I personally wouldn't recommend a guide - If you do a bit research yourself there is no need)
- Queuing Time: Come early! I was there around 7:30 AM and people already started to queue. If you come any later then that you can expect a waiting time of 3 - 4 hours. The queue gets extremely long! I recommend you to get a nice Simit for breakfast at one of the little food shops around this area - That makes waiting a bit more enjoyable :))
Hagia Sophia
Another big advantage of coming to the Mosque in the early morning are the stunning light falls on the windows. That's probably the most photogenic time of the day and it surly will bring you the one or other good image.
History
There are definitely better blogs around the internet which can provide you all informations about the history of this place but I will give you a few interesting facts which were for me pretty informative.
- The Hagia Sophia used to be a church from the year 360 to 1453 (over 1000 years!) before the Ottoman empire started and the building became a Mosque.
- From the year 1950 to 2020 the building served as a Museum (after that it became a Mosque again)
For more detailed informations you should definitely have a look into wikipedia and I can tell you its a lot! I personally was mostly fascinated by the impressive architecture of this building. The size and hight + the light falling through the windows during sunrise and the golden hour is really something pretty unique!
As last point I want to mention a few things which everyone should be aware of - As this is a Mosque you should behave respectfully and follow a few rules:
- Wear long clothes (No T-shirts, shorts, skirts etc.)
- Be quiet (Don't shout or speak loud)
- Don't take pictures of people praying
The Hagia Sophia is a important place for Muslim people so please just treat it with respect and just behave like a normal Human :))
I hope you guys enjoyed this litte virtual trip with me trhough the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul.
Best,
Chris