Hagia Sophia Mosque is known for its rich history, innovative architecture, religious significance and extraordinary characteristics. It's also called one of the world’s amazing monuments with amazing characteristics. The breathtaking domes looks like hanging in the air with unparalleled mosaics and monolithic marble columns. This massive 1,500-year-old Byzantine church/cathedral turned mosque is a place you must visit if you are travelling in this part of the world. Moreover, it attracts over 3 million visitors per year and is the most attractive tourist destination. Also, its recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so if you are looking for Hagia Sophia guide then read the article below for more details.
- An Eventful History of Hagia Sophia
- Visiting the Hagia Sophia
- What's the Meaning of the Name Hagia Sophia?
- What is Worth Seeing in Hagia Sophia?
An Eventful History of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia has been built between 532 and 537 representing a brilliant moment in Byzantine architecture and art. The principal church of the Byzantine Empire in its capital, Constantinople, and a mosque after the Ottoman Empire conquered the city in 1453. The Turkish government decided to turn Ayasofya into a museum in 1934 for Hagia Sophia tourism and with the intention of turning it into a reservoir for human history—all of human history, not just a history exclusive to one faith or group of people. This decision was recently overturned, repurposing the structure into a mosque.
Visiting the Hagia Sophia
As now Hagia Sophia is a working mosque, there is no entry fee for Hagia Sophia, and the non-Muslims can enter the building outside of prayer times. The male and female visitors both need to be respectfully dressed and all the visitors need to remove their footwear on entry. Hagia Sophia opening hours are between 09:00 in the morning and 23:00 in the late evening as of 2022. It is open every day of the week but, since it is a mosque, it is partially closed to touristic visits during prayer hours. Istanbul mosques, including the Blue Mosque, do not accept touristic visits to the indoor section during prayer hours.
Location: Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
How to get there: In order to get to the Hagia Sophia from Taksim Square then you can first take the Fucular F1 to Kabatas. Funicular F1 is inside the metro station in Taksim Square.
You can take Tram T1 from Kabatas Tram Station to Sultanahmet. This will take approximately 15 minutes. During the tram ride, you can explore the touristic places such as Galata Bridge and Spice Bazaar.
What's the Meaning of the Name Hagia Sophia?
The meaning of the Hagia Sophia mosque is “Wisdom that is divine” and is located in Constantinople, now Istanbul was first dedicated in 360 by Emperor Constantius, son of the city’s founder, Emperor Constantine. Originally called Meghale Ekklesia (Great Church), the name Hagia Sophia came into use around 430. Visiting this mosque is one of the best things to do in Istanbul.
What is Worth Seeing in Hagia Sophia?
Known for its magnificent architecture, Hagia Sophia is one of the best places to visit in Istanbul. There are several things that you can discover about this fascinating mosque while a tour. Hence, below we have listed some of those features that you must explore.
1. Beautiful Mosaic Ornaments
All the surface of Hagia Sophia accepts the marble covered walls are decorated with the alluring mosaics, silver, gold, glass, terracotta and also colored stones are used to make the mosaics. These mosaic ornaments attract the attention of all the tourist who come here to explore this beautiful place.
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2. Columns and Marbles Brought from Ancient Cities
The columns and marbles used to build this beautiful mosque was brought from the ancient city ruins in Anatolia and Syria, such as Ephesos, Aspendos, Baalbek, Tarsus. Also, the white marbles used here were brought from Marmara Island, pink marbles from Afyon, green porphyries from Egriboz island, and yellow marbles from North Africa. So, if you want to know what is special about Hagia Sophia, then you must see these attractive columns and marbles used here.
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3. Wish Column
The column carved in the northwest direction of the building or covered with bronze plates called wish columns, and a center carved column. Some sources said that this column has gained the holiness among the public over time and is a special part of Hagi Sophia tourism. According to some rumors it has helped people to recover during the Eastern Roman era. According to the legend, Emperor Lustinianos, walked through the building with a severe headache. Then he leaned his head on this column and after a while he realized that his headache passed. After this incident public started believing that the column had hearing properties.
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4. VI. Leon Mosaic
In the middle of the depicted mosaic, there is Pantaktrator Jesus on the Emperor’s Gate. Jesus sits on a throne with a backrest, conspicuous with his right hand, and holds a throne with a backrest, conspicuous with his right hand, and holds a Bible open with his left hand. The Greek writing on the Bible reads, "I'm in peace with you. I am the World's Nur ". Hz. Mary and Archangel Gabriel (Gabriel) are seen in the medallion on the right. Emperor VI of the Eastern Roman Empire kneels before Jesus. Leon (816-912). The 10th century is indicated by the mosaic representation. This makes it one of the most amusing places to visit in Turkey that you can explore with your family and friends.
Hence, if you want to explore this one of the most visited tourist destinations in Istanbul, then it is the best choice. Apart from rich history, it's incredible architecture, mosaics and paintings are breathtaking. It has been a national museum for the past 86 years, on July 10, 2020 and was reverted back to mosque for Muslims to worship in. The Hagia Sophia belonged to the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan Foundation, and Turkish courts ruled in 1934 that the government lacked the authority to convert it to a museum. So, if you are making a plan to visit this amazing place then avail yourself of the best Istanbul tour packages for a memorable vacation. Known as an awesome destination, Istanbul has plenty of things that one can explore. From good food and rich culture to amazing landmarks and much more, here you can discover as much as you can.
Hagia Sophia Guide - FAQs
Hagia Sophia is the most magnificent feature with its great dome resting as though hung from the air itself enclosing the entire building. There are several important features of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Below we have listed some of those things:
- Beautiful Mosaic Ornaments
- Columns and Marbles Brought from Ancient Cities
- Wish Column
- VI. Leon Mosaic
The hagia Sophia has been located at Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey. The opening hours of Hagia Sophia rae between 09:00 in the morning and 23:00 in the late evening as of 2022. It is generally open every day of the week but, it is partially closed to touristic visits during the prayer hours.
To get to the Hagia Sophia from Takshim Square one can first take the Fucular F1 to Kabatas. Funicular F1 is inside the metro station in Taksim Square. One can take Tram T1 from Kabatas Tram station to Sultanahmet. This will take approximately 15 minutes. During the tram ride, one can explore the other touristic places like Galata Bridge and Spice Bazaar.
The best time to visit Istanbul is from mid-April to June and September to October. The weather at this time is usually good, crowds are smaller and all the sights here are open to be explored. So, one can make a plan to visit Istanbul at this time for a memorable holiday.
Hagia Sophia is a massive 1,500-year-old Byzantine church/cathedral turned mosque. Additionally, it draws more than 3 million tourists each year and is the most alluring travel destination. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which makes it one of the most important tourist places in the world.
The Hagia Sophia mosque, which was first dedicated in 360 by Emperor Constantius, the son of the city's founder, Emperor Constantine, means "Wisdom that is divine" and is situated in Constantinople, now Istanbul. Around 430, the name Hagia Sophia, which originally stood for Meghale Ekklesia (Great Church), entered common usage.
One can explore Istanbul within 3-4 days if you are coming for the first time. These 3-4 days in Istanbul will make you to see the city’s most renowned sights of this vibrant and bustling city. Istanbul is one of the world’s greatest cities hence there are so many wonderful reasons why you should visit this country.
There is no entry fee for the Hagia Sophia as it is a mosque. Hagia Sophia is open every day and outside of the times of prayer, non-Muslims are allowed in. Both male and female visitors must be appropriately attired, and everyone must take off their shoes before entering. As of 2022, Hagia Sophia is open from 9:00 in the morning until 23:00 in the late evening.
