Hagia Sophia

Beautiful mosque that allows visitors throughout the day. One of only a few that allows non Muslims to go inside. You must take off your shoes and obviously respect the signage and requests from the employees. Saw lots of people who maybe can’t read or maybe didn’t care going into places that were clearly marked off for them or for the general public.

Ayasofya’s marvel was already being written into history while the mortar was young. Sixth-century court writers described Holy Wisdom through a dome rising over light, marble and gold, turning structure into an interior experience people struggled to explain. After 1453, Ottoman imperial mosque culture inherited that challenge, measuring new domed mosques against the span and presence of the old building. In the nineteenth century, Sultan Abdülmecid’s restoration and Fossati’s printed views carried Ayasofya into another kind of fame, as a restored monument circulated through drawings, scholarship and modern eyes. Today, care for the dome has become the latest form of regard, holding worship, visitors and restoration inside the same admired architectural body. (Photos taken when it was a museum.)

Ayasofya is undoubtedly an important historical landmark and I am glad I visited it once. However, if I’m being completely honest, I would not pay for the same experience again. A large part of the building is currently under restoration, which affects the atmosphere and limits what visitors can see. The history is fascinating, but after the visit I felt that the experience did not fully match the price of the ticket and guided tour. What I regret more is not having enough time to visit the Basilica Cistern, which many travelers recommended to us. If I had to choose between the two, I would probably visit the Basilica Cistern first. Still, Ayasofya remains an iconic symbol of Istanbul and is worth seeing at least once, especially for those interested in history and architecture.

Another in top 10 monument to see in Istanbul. We were not lucky as it is ongoing reconstruction and covered by scaffolding. Place is crowded with tourists as few meters further there is Blue mosque and in between them there is park

Ummmm!!!! Well it’s was a bucket list location in a bucket list city, but at €50 pp, compared with other experiences in other cities, I felt Hagia Sophia was way over priced for what you get to see. As other reviews have said, you’re restricted to the balcony area, there’s a free audio tour (choose a minute long narrative from the 21 numbered locations) but somehow they don’t give that much insight and there’s scaffolding inside and out which definitely limits the experience. I’ve done it but wasn’t blown away. (Extra note: talking to staff at our hotel, we learnt that many historic venues have had their entrance fees increased substantially in the last year(ish), so check on what you want to see beforehand to make sure you want to definitely visit).