Hagia Sophia Museum

Hagia Sophia - former Christian Cathedral, later an imperial mosque. Built in AD 537. Breathtaking! Unusual mix of 2 religions. Entrance ticket - 72 TRY (in July 2019). The best time for visiting - 9 am, at that time you will have a chance to enjoy the beauty without hundreds of tourists.

If you come to Istanbul, you shouldn't miss this marvellous place which holds a very long and important history, from the Christian church to the Islamic mosque and now has become the museum.

This Used be a Mosque and Church at the same time for more then 500 years. All the Major attractions are at walking distance such as Blue mosque, Sultanate Tomb etcs

Trip.com is a great application that is user friendly and I’ve made all my ticket bookings for my trips the last 3 months. all good!

most fascinated place that I ever visited. the grandeur of architectural and interior design.

The Hagia Sophia is a must-see exhibit. there are many people lining up at the entrance. if you have credit-card,best to use credit card at the machine to buy ticket and avoid the wait . the admission is 72 Turkish Lira. dont forget to visit the 5 tomes of the Sultans, located ‘to the left after exiting the Hagia Sophia’. the entrance to the tomes are free, but must remove shoes prior to entrance of each tome.

When you come to Turkey, you must see St. Sophia's Cathedral in the old city, which is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Saint Sophia Cathedral is the Central Church of the Orthodox Church built in Byzantine times. It is quite magnificent and magnificent. It fully reflects the outstanding architectural art and is absolutely a model of the architectural community. Later, the Ottoman Empire destroyed the Eastern Roman Empire. When Islam cleansed the pagan religion, it did not have the heart to destroy the symbol of the pagan religion, the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, but transformed it into a mosque. [Overall Feeling] Finally came to St. Sophia's Cathedral, which was full of expectation and excitement. St. Sophia's Cathedral has created many of the world's first churches, and the beauty of the cathedral makes us wonder. First enter the church, we have to know that St. Sophia Cathedral is repaired all year round, you can only see half of the church, the other half is always repaired. Entering the church, we marveled at the luxurious marble floor, which has remained intact for so many years. Take a look at the famous murals on the wall. The huge yellow dome will surely shock you. In addition, St. Sophia Cathedral has a second floor, so you must go to the second floor to see it, you can experience the beauty of the cathedral more closely!

St. Sophia's Church went through the Byzantine era, then turned into a mosque and is now a museum. It is famous for its huge dome. Christianity still exists in the once largest church in the world, as can be seen from the remnants of the frescoes on the second floor. The brilliant dome of the church is magnificent and beautiful. Many huge chandeliers are very dazzling. The two complement each other and make the church beautiful and magnificent.

When you come to Istanbul, the Blue Mosque can be replaced by many mosques such as Suleiman Mosque; Independence Street is a commercial pedestrian street full of swindlers, which is not essentially different from other pedestrian streets in the world; Big Bazaar and spice markets are traditional shopping places, often with shopkeepers greeting you in Chinese, Japanese, etc., and nothing more than other buses in the Middle East. Zaha is more international; however, the only and irreplaceable attraction in the world is St. Sophia Church, which is absolutely a must-see attraction. The 6th century St. Sophia Church is located in the old city of Istanbul, opposite the Blue Mosque in a square. It was the earliest and most typical Byzantine building, the Coronation Temple of the Byzantine Emperor, and was once the largest church in the world. Saint Sophia means "sacred wisdom" and the church was built by Justinian, one of the greatest emperors of the Byzantine Empire. Justinian proudly declared after the completion of the church, "Solomon, I surpass you." In 1453, when the Ottoman Army broke through Constantinople, Mohammed II apparently did not want to take over a ruin and a dead city by himself. He liked the church, covered the original Byzantine murals with mortar, and converted the Orthodox Church into a mosque (the four minarets outside, of course, were added). So there are many elements of the coexistence of the two religions inside and outside the church. Constantinople's last fall was during the Fourth Crusade. This was done by the Governor of Venice, Dendoro, the Governor whom Professor "Hell" Rirandon sought, who took the bones of St. Lucia from Constantinople (legendary for longevity) and the bronze carvings of Colts and horses and transported them back to Venice. Look for a tombstone that can be found on the ground on the second floor of the church. The basement of the church is empty for drainage until it reaches the nearby basement bathroom. To be honest, compared with the magnificent Catholic churches in Europe, this church is really primitive. Perhaps it feels like a crude, cold castle in the dark times of Europe. Some of the walls and floors of the passages are made of bluestone, which has never been ground down. And because the Orthodox objects were removed and Muslims banned idolatry, the whole church seemed empty. Tourists who simply look at the scenery without a guide may be a little disappointed. However, tourists who are relatively familiar with and interested in history and culture will be awed, looking back on history from the past to the present, and observing details in detail. The left side of the hall has been sealed and repaired for many years, and it also has some influence on the view. If you live in an old city in Europe, you can basically follow Google Maps on foot. Buses can take the tram T1 to Sultanahmet station. The tram has the English name of the station on the screen. Don't worry. Or just stare out of the car and see a big square. There will be many tourist buses parked in the square. Entrance ticket" 40 lira. It is suggested to buy 85 lira Museum pass, which is valid for 5 days. It is effective for the old palace and its rear palace, but not for the underground palace and Galataris. The Old Palace with the Imperial Palace = 65 lira. Visiting churches + the Old Palace with the Imperial Palace earns money, not to mention that there are many museums that can be accessed free of charge. If it's a Turkish tourist who suggests to buy a 185 lira national pass, it's valid for 15 days.

If you can only see two churches in your life, would it be embarrassing to see St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican and St. Sophia's Museum in Istanbul? She can only be called a museum now, because in 1453, when Mohammed II stepped into the church gate, it became the Saint Sophia Mosque. But from the moment Justinian rebuilt it as the greatest Church of mankind, she has stood brilliantly for nearly 1500 years. I hope she is eternal. I hope she is still young at this moment...