The Hagia Sophia is likely one of the most widespread sights in Istanbul, and for good motive – it’s an unimaginable place!
In the event you’re planning a visit to Istanbul, ensure to place the Hagia Sophia in your listing of must-sees.
Guided Hagia Sophia tickets are comparatively cheap, and there are a couple of alternative ways to purchase them. You should buy tickets on the door, or upfront on-line. We suggest shopping for your tickets on-line forward of time to keep away from any traces or crowds on the attraction. Belief us, visiting the Hagia Sophia is an expertise you gained’t wish to miss!
Shopping for tickets for to the Hagia Sophia
Nonetheless, shopping for Hagia Sophia tickets generally is a bit complicated, particularly for those who’re not acquainted with the town or how Turkish ticketing works.
To save lots of you some bother (and allow you to profit from your journey!), right here’s a fast information on tips on how to purchase tickets to see the Hagia Sophia. The very first thing it is advisable know is that there are two sorts of tickets: an everyday and free entrance ticket and a guided tour ticket.
The common free entrance ticket will acquire you entry to the Hagia Sophia, however doesn’t embrace any data or steering in regards to the constructing itself. However, the guided tour ticket contains an audio information in addition to entry to sure components of the Hagia Sophia which might be normally closed off to guests. In the event you’re trying to be taught extra in regards to the historical past and story behind this unimaginable piece of structure, we suggest going with the guided tour choice!
Nonetheless, for those who’re brief on time or simply wish to discover at your individual tempo, then getting an everyday entrance ticket would suffice.
You should buy a guided tour ticket right here or a guided tour ticket with a historian right here.
Good to learn about visiting Hagia Sophia
Buying Hagia Sophia tickets is a straightforward course of, however there are some things it’s best to remember before you purchase.
Firstly, it’s essential to know that the Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays.
Secondly, admission to the Hagia Sophia is free, until you want to have a information, telling you extra about this lovely constructing and its historical past.
Then we suggest shopping for a tour upfront on-line. Not solely will this prevent time, however it’ll additionally permit you to reap the benefits of discounted charges for teams of 10 or extra individuals. So how do you buy tickets on-line?
Resolve what number of tickets you want. Then merely fill out your contact data and hit “submit.” It’s that simple!
If you wish to go to different close by sights just like the Topkapi Palace or the Sunken Palace, then you definitely’ll have to buy a multi-site ticket.
After you have your ticket, merely present it to the safety guard on the entrance and luxuriate in your go to!
For guided excursions you’ll have a free admission for kids underneath 2 years previous. Discounted ticket costs for kids 3 to 7 years previous (with legitimate picture ID). Audio guides obtainable relying on the ticket choice booked.
Hagia Sophia Spotlight Tour with Information and Audio Information App
It is a ticket for an unique, guided VIP tour of the Hagia Sophia. Ebook your Hagia Sophia Tour on-line now and benefit from the Highlights Tour with included Audio Information App!
Value: €14.25
Low cost: 5%
- Bestseller Tour
- On the spot Affirmation
- Free Cancelation
- Straight Accessible
How the Hagia Sophia go to works
After you place your order, you’ll obtain a affirmation with the assembly level and particulars for downloading the Hagia Sophia Audio App. Your Istanbul Welcome Card information will meet you on the Hagia Sophia and escort you inside for a 30 minute tour, offering important historic data alongside the best way. After the tour, be at liberty to ask your information something in regards to the Hagia Sophia, Byzantine Empire or Istanbul. You’ll additionally obtain a Hagia Sophia map so as to discover by yourself and be taught extra by audio commentary in your smartphone app.
Vital data
You gained’t have the ability to minimize the safety line. Throughout excessive season, the safety verify can take as much as half-hour.
Your benefits
Be versatile – You establish the beginning time and tempo
Particular person Journey – You don’t depending on a bunch!
Person pleasant
Combi ticket: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Sunken Palace Basilica Cistern and Audio Information App
Value: €51.30
Low cost: 5%
Bestseller Tour
On the spot Affirmation
Free Cancelation
Straight Accessible
You might cancel these Hagia Sophia tickets as much as 24 hours previous to the beginning of the expertise to obtain a full refund.
This VIP combo ticket will prevent money and time because it means that you can simply go to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Sunken Palace. After your reservation, you’ll obtain a affirmation with assembly locations and occasions, in addition to obtain particulars for the Audio Apps. Your information will meet you in entrance of Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. You’ll skip the ticket traces (besides Hagia Sophia) and luxuriate in a 30 min highlights tour with a licensed native tour information inside every museum. Afterwards, you possibly can keep at every sight so long as you need and hearken to thrilling tales in your included audio information apps in your smartphone.
Combo ticket Istanbul is legitimate for 3 days
You may go to all 3 museums in 1 day or at completely different days. Your title will probably be on our listing for 3 days. You may come on the obtainable occasions, to our assembly factors and go to along with your Istanbul Welcome Card information these prime museums.
Vital data
You may skip ticket traces with guides, however cannot skip the safety line.
Your benefits
Be versatile – You establish the beginning time and tempo
Particular person Journey – You don’t depending on a bunch!
Person pleasant
Sunken Palace: Fast entry with highlights tour + audio information
Value: €19.95
Period: versatile
Included:
– Fast admission to the Sunken Palace
– English talking tour information
– Audio information
Cancellation deadline: You might cancel these tickets as much as 24 hours previous to the beginning of the expertise to obtain a full refund.
It is a VIP ticket for the Basilica Cistern. Purchase it on-line to save lots of time by skipping the lengthy ticket traces. Plus, you’ll get a highlights tour and an audio information app!
Afterwards, you possibly can spend as a lot time as you need indoors, listening to the informative audio information app in your smartphone, and discovering the Basilica Cistern at your individual tempo.
Hagia Sophia customer data
Hagia Sophia is located within the European facet of Istanbul, within the Sultanahmet district (Outdated Metropolis), near Topkapi Palace. It’s just a few minutes’ stroll from the motels in Sultanahmet. Istanbul Worldwide Airport is 20 km away.
Hagia Sophia is open each day besides Mondays.
April 15-Oct 1 it’s open 9 am-7 pm with final admission at 6 pm;
Oct 1-April 15 it’s open 9am-5pm with final entry at 4pm.
Hagia Sophia closes for Ramadan and Eid Ul Adha holidays.
Is the Hagia Sophia barrier-free?
The primary ground is accessible for wheelchair customers.
Nonetheless, the higher ground just isn’t accessible because of the many steps and cobblestones.
Is pictures allowed in Hagia Sophia?
Sure, pictures is allowed contained in the Hagia Sophia.
Nonetheless, using tripods is prohibited.
Is there a costume code to observe at Hagia Sophia?
Sure, since it’s a non secular website, all guests are anticipated to decorate modestly. If doable, shorts and sleeveless tops shouldn’t be worn.
Girls should put on a scarf to enter the mosque. Free headscarves may be discovered close to the doorway.
As well as, guests should depart their sneakers exterior.
Extra helpful details about the Hagia Sophia
Over time, Hagia Sophia has withstood quite a few occasions and disasters, comparable to the autumn of highly effective civilizations, fires or earthquakes.
At present, this landmark hides loads of fascinating tales. What began because the Church of St. Sophia ultimately turned the Hagia Sophia Mosque, then it was run as a museum and after a while it was transformed again right into a mosque.
Discover out what makes this well-known landmark so particular right here:
Hagia Sophia is a type of locations that all the time appears to have one thing new to supply. Regardless of what number of occasions you go to there’s all the time some recent secret ready to be uncovered. It’s half church, half mosque – however its wealthy historical past implies that there’s way more to study this place than meets the attention.
Allow us to take you on a tour by among the most attention-grabbing info and figures surrounding Hagia Sophia…
Extraordinary structure and brief building time of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was in-built an extremely brief period of time – solely six years! The architects who designed it have been forward of their time, utilizing information of mechanics and arithmetic that was uncommon for the period.
The constructing itself is a very unique design, combining options of a longitudinal basilica and a centralized constructing. It has an enormous, 32-meter primary dome that hangs from the ceiling, in addition to two semidomes (half-domes) on both facet of the longitudinal axis. By way of its format, the constructing is nearly sq.. It has three aisles, that are separated by columns.
There are additionally galleries above the aisles, and enormous marble pillars that help the dome. The partitions above the galleries and the bottom of the dome have home windows that allow in pure gentle. This hides the columns in the course of the day, giving the impression that the cover is floating in mid-air.
Hagia Sophia Structure
Hagia Sophia is an awe-inspiring architectural achievement and the primary of its form in Byzantine structure. It remained the most important cathedral on the earth till Seville Cathedral was constructed. The vestibule situated exterior the jap a part of the atrium is at the moment closed off.
To entry the internal atrium, there are 5 doorways one can enter by. From this vestibule, there are 9 doorways main into the nave itself. Entry to higher galleries is made doable by ramps – a standard characteristic amongst Constantinople church buildings underneath building throughout that point interval.
Hagia Sophia Mosaics
The Hagia Sophia was fantastically embellished with mosaics in the course of the Byzantine interval, depicting the Virgin Mary, Jesus, saints and emperors or empresses. The historical past of the earliest mosaics is unknown, as a lot of them have been destroyed or coated in the course of the storming of the cathedral. The mosaics reached their peak in the course of the reigns of Basil I and Constantine VII. In the course of the Fourth Campaign in 1204, the Latin Crusaders looted many Byzantine buildings, together with Hagia Sophia. Many lovely mosaics have been eliminated and shipped to Venice.
After the Ottoman occupation of Constantinople in 1453 and the conversion of Hagia Sophia right into a mosque, the mosaics have been whitewashed or plastered. With the restoration of the Fosatti brothers in 1847, the mosaics have been uncovered. However they remained coated till 1931, when a restoration program started underneath the route of Thomas Whittemore.
In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered that Hagia Sophia turn into a museum. The restoration and enlargement then passed off. Nonetheless, most of the nice mosaics uncovered by the Fosatti brothers have been in all probability destroyed with the 1894 earthquake.
Tunnel of the Hagia Sophia
In response to legend, Hagia Sophia was essential for the Vatican. There have been tunnels main from Hagia Sophia to the Princes Islands (Kinaliada). The underground tunnels ran by the town of Constantinople. The large cistern was situated underground.
The tunnels underneath Hagia Sophia reached the hidden rooms with secret writings that have been hidden there in the course of the sieges. Researchers revealed some tombs underneath the Hagia Sophia. Amongst them have been the tombs of St. Antinegos, the primary individual to be buried in Hagia Sophia, and Patriarch Athanasius.
Resulting in Sultanahmet Sq. and Topkapi Palace are two slender corridors about 70 centimeters excessive, probably utilized by Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II as a hidden escape path to keep away from being seen by residents in occasions of hazard or strife.
Historical past of Hagia Sophia
The primary church on the positioning of Hagia Sophia was in all probability constructed by Constantine I in 325, on the foundations of a pagan temple. His son, Constantius II, consecrated it in 360. It was broken in 404 by a fireplace that broke out throughout a riot, after the second exile of St. John Chrysostom, who was then the patriarch of Constantinople.
The church was rebuilt and enlarged by the Roman Emperor Constans I, after which rededicated by Theodosius II in 415. In the course of the Nika revolt of January 532, the church was burned down once more. Justinian I used this as a chance to construct an much more magnificent alternative.
At present’s construction is actually the identical because the constructing from the sixth century, though an earthquake brought about a partial collapse of the dome in 558 (which was then restored in 562). There have been two different partial collapses after that, after which the construction was rebuilt smaller and strengthened from the skin.
For greater than a millennium, it served because the cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Nonetheless, it was sacked by the Venetians and Crusaders in 1204 in the course of the Fourth Campaign.
After Constantinople was conquered by the Turks in 1453, Mehmed II had the church transformed right into a mosque. A picket minaret, giant chandelier, mihrab (area of interest indicating the route of Mecca), and minbar (pulpit) have been added. The purple minaret on the southeast nook of the constructing was most certainly constructed by Mehmed II or his son Bayezid II. The slender white minaret on the northeast facet of the mosque was constructed by Bayezid II. The 2 equivalent minarets on the west facet have been commissioned by Selim II or Murad III and constructed by Ottoman architect Sinan within the 1500s.
The constructing was transformed right into a museum in 1935 by Turkish President Kemal Ataturk. Artwork historians consider the constructing’s lovely mosaics present essential perception into the state of mosaic artwork within the interval simply after the tip of the iconoclastic controversy within the eighth and ninth centuries.
Hagia Sophia is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Web site, which additionally contains different historic buildings and websites in Istanbul, such because the Blue Mosque.
Journey Dudes
I am certain you have had related experiences I had while touring. You are in a sure place and a fellow traveler, or a neighborhood, tip you off on a little-known seaside, bar or lodging. Nice journey suggestions from different vacationers or locals all the time add one thing particular to our travels. That was the inspiration for Journey Dudes.
