The Hagia Sophia Museum is one of the most important landmarks of Istanbul that attracts the attention of tourists to enjoy its amazing building and its wonderful decorations that extend back to the ancient times of the Turkish state era.
Hagia Sophia Istanbul started its history as a Byzantine church that Emperor Justinian built in 532 AD to become the oldest church in Constantinople.
The current Hagia Sophia Istanbul museum continued as a church for nearly a thousand years before the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror opened Constantinople and converted the church to a mosque for about 5 centuries to become in this period one of the most important mosques in Istanbul.
In the year 1934, Turkish President Mustafa Kamel Ataturk made a decision to transform the Hagia Sophia Mosque into a historical museum, which is now the most important among the tourist attractions in Istanbul, specifically in the Sultanahmet area of Konkuz, which represents the most important religions and civilizations witnessed by the Turkish state throughout its history.
The article reviews the most important activities that you can take when visiting the Hagia Sophia Museum, one of the most famous museums in Istanbul.
Read:The best 7 activities in Kucuksu Palace Istanbul TurkeyThe most important activities that can be done in the Hagia Sophia Istanbul Museum
• From the beginning, you can enjoy the amazing and amazing design of the facade of the Hagia Sophia Museum, where the huge dome and the four minarets serve as a wonderful background for photos.
• You can also enjoy the beauty of the Byzantine mosaics, which decorate the ceilings of the Museum of Hagia Sophia from the inside, with a number of the most beautiful artistic and archaeological masterpieces, collections of chandeliers and lighting units dating back to ancient times.
• The Hagia Sophia Museum in Istanbul represents a high importance and sanctity among its visitors, Muslims and Christians alike, including icons that represent both religions such as the inscription of the Virgin Mary on the roof of the museum, the majesty and the name of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, with gilded inscriptions on its walls, a niche and columns in the prayer square .
• You can also visit the graves of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire attached to the construction of the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which represents the sanctity and high historical importance of the Turks.
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• Then you can relax in the green Gulhane Park near Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, or visit one of the nearby places such as Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul Islamic Museum, Topkapi Museum
• If you are looking to buy some valuable souvenirs or good Turkish spices, you can do that after visiting the Hagia Sophia Istanbul Museum, where the Grand Bazaar and Arasta Bazar Market are located a few meters away from it. You can also pass through the basilica tank this wonderful archaeological place to enjoy watching the magnificence of its construction and idea. Unique.
visiting hours
From Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Prices of entry cards
72 TL for adults.
Children under 8 years of age enter for free.
Best Istanbul hotels near Hagia Sophia
Dosso Dossi Fatih Hotel is one of the best 4-star Istanbul hotels, just 350 meters from the Hagia Sophia Museum.
Read:Outlet Istanbul: 10 best outlet centers in IstanbulSummary of Arab visitor ratings
The hotel received excellent reviews for location, staff, amenities, comfort, and cleanliness.
Sura Hagia Sophia Hotel is one of the best hotels in Sultanahmet Istanbul, 400 meters from the museum.
Summary of Arab visitor ratings
The Hagia Sophia Hotel received a very good evaluation from all its Arab visitors, especially in terms of cleanliness, location and staff.
