Located in Sultanahmet across from the Blue Mosque, this is one of the most impressive sites in all of Istanbul. The line queues pretty quickly in the morning, so either decide to go early or later in the day. Entrance was 25 TRY and worth every penny. There are guided options available in different languages, but we used a Rick... more

Amazing to wander around for an hour. Minimal admission fee. It is closed on Mondays, so plan ahead. No need to hire one of the many guides near the entrance as long as you have a basic tour book. I would also suggest arriving early as it gets more crowded as the day goes on. Great advice from the other... more

Very impressive site for the sheer scale of the architecture and the remaining mosicas. There is a great video presentation in English in the front corridor before you go into the main hall and if you watch this and have done a little bit of reading from one of the main tourguide books you should not need to hire out... more

I went last week and visited on my birthday and just looked at the beautiful building and couldn't think of anywhere more perfect to be on my birthday. Its absolutely beautiful. Be careful of the men selling books outside, we ended up paying £12 after a lot of haggling for a guidebook which we later saw somewhere else for about... more

A visit to Istanbul should include a visit to Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Muzesi). Built between 532 and 537 A.D., the Byzantine structure has undergone many changes both outside and inside. Changes under the Ottoman rule included adding the minrab, minbar, and four minarets. The architecure is fabulous and the interior includes remnants of the history of Hagia Sophia’s uses. The... more

This is one of the most beautiful places and stunning pieces of architecture I have ever seen. Although the outside of the building is amazing, it only teases at the grandness and architectural domes. Once you step inside, it is absolutely inspiring! The scaffolding up over half of the vast central dome area only slightly detracted from the experience. The... more

What a stunning piece of architecture! Aya Sofya, once the Haghia Sophia cathedral, then a mosque, and now a museum, is simply awe-inspiring. This was a superb space, and rich in history. There was a great deal of scaffolding up to the main dome, which will probably stay for a while, but the site was still beautiful. Make sure you... more

Magnificent and beautiful. Stay away from the street hawkers in the surrounding area. more

ıt ıs great monument.one of the best ın the worl wıth ıt's fantastic hıstory.but the ımportant thınks ıs better to vısıt ıt wıth a guıde,othervıse you mıss alot about hagıa sophıa.. more