Hagia Sophia
A 1,500-year-old World Heritage site — a masterpiece that has been basilica, mosque and museum.
From Meşale Restaurant & Cafe to Hagia Sophia
Why visit?
Nowhere else in the world will you see Byzantine mosaics and Islamic calligraphy so close together and so at ease with one another. Standing beneath a 1,500-year-old dome is spellbinding.
Short History
The building you see today is the third church raised on this spot. After the first two were destroyed, Justinian rebuilt it in 537 as "the house of God". When Mehmed the Conqueror took the city in 1453, his first act was to go to Hagia Sophia and convert it into a mosque. In 1934 it became a museum by Atatürk's decree, and in 2020 a ruling of the Council of State returned it to the status of a mosque.
About
Built in AD 537 for the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, Hagia Sophia remained the largest church in the world for centuries. After the conquest of Istanbul in 1453 it became a mosque, in 1934 a museum, and in 2020 it reopened for worship as a mosque. With its vast dome reaching some 55 metres, it is a singular building where Byzantine mosaics and Islamic calligraphy stand side by side.
Go early in the morning. The tour buses usually arrive after 10:00. The upper-gallery mosaic section is sometimes closed — ask at the entrance.
What to know before visiting
Photos
Images: Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Wikimedia Commons (public domain) · Meşale archive
Photo spots
Looking up under the dome
Catch the light falling from 56 metres above
Mosaics (upper gallery)
The Byzantine mosaics on the gallery level
The mihrab from inside
Islamic and Christian art standing side by side
How to get here from Meşale
From Meşale 330 m (5 minutes)
T1 tram — Sultanahmet stop
No parking nearby. A taxi is recommended.
Your map app calculates the time from live traffic, so we don't print a fixed figure here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Local visitors enter free. Foreign visitors may have to pay a museum entrance fee — check the current price on the official site.
Yes, the Byzantine mosaics are on display in the upper gallery. Some sections may occasionally be closed for restoration.
Visits stop during prayer times. Entry may be restricted for 30 min before and after each prayer.
Visit Information
- From Meşale
- 5 min (330 m)
- Visit duration
- 45–60 min
- Hours
- Can be visited outside prayer times
- Ticket
- Foreign visitors may pay a museum entrance fee (free for local residents)
- Best time
- At the 09:00 opening or in the late afternoon
- Busy
- High
- Accessible
- Yes
- Family Friendly
- Yes
Highlights
- Vast dome
- Byzantine mosaics
- Ottoman calligraphy
- 1,500 years of history
Tags
Nearby places
Source & Freshness
- Last checked:
- September 4, 2026
Hours and prices are for guidance only. Please confirm with an official source before your visit.