The Hagia Sophia is among the most widespread sights in Istanbul, and for good motive – it’s an unimaginable place!
For those who’re planning a visit to Istanbul, make sure that to place the Hagia Sophia in your listing of must-sees.
Guided Hagia Sophia tickets are comparatively cheap, and there are a number of alternative ways to purchase them. You should buy tickets on the door, or prematurely on-line. We advocate shopping for your tickets on-line forward of time to keep away from any strains 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 could be a bit complicated, particularly in the event you’re not accustomed to the town or how Turkish ticketing works.
To save lots of you some hassle (and make it easier to profit from your journey!), right here’s a fast information on find out how to purchase tickets to see the Hagia Sophia. The very first thing it’s essential know is that there are two forms of tickets: a daily and free entrance ticket and a guided tour ticket.
The common free entrance ticket will achieve you entry to the Hagia Sophia, however doesn’t embody any info or steerage concerning the constructing itself. Alternatively, the guided tour ticket consists of an audio information in addition to entry to sure components of the Hagia Sophia which can be often closed off to guests. For those who’re seeking to be taught extra concerning the historical past and story behind this unimaginable piece of structure, we advocate going with the guided tour choice!
Nonetheless, in the event you’re quick on time or simply wish to discover at your individual tempo, then getting a daily 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 an easy course of, however there are some things you need to be mindful before you purchase.
Initially, it’s vital to know that the Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays.
Secondly, admission to the Hagia Sophia is free, until you wish to have a information, telling you extra about this stunning constructing and its historical past.
Then we advocate shopping for a tour prematurely 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 folks. So how do you buy tickets on-line?
Determine what number of tickets you want. Then merely fill out your contact info and hit “submit.” It’s that simple!
If you wish to go to different close by points of interest just like the Topkapi Palace or the Sunken Palace, then you definitely’ll have to buy a multi-site ticket.
After getting your ticket, merely present it to the safety guard on the entrance and revel in your go to!
For guided excursions you’ll have a free admission for kids beneath 2 years outdated. Discounted ticket costs for kids 3 to 7 years outdated (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. E-book 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
- Immediate 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 info alongside the best way. After the tour, be at liberty to ask your information something concerning the Hagia Sophia, Byzantine Empire or Istanbul. You’ll additionally obtain a Hagia Sophia map in an effort to discover by yourself and be taught extra by way of audio commentary in your smartphone app.
Vital info
You gained’t be capable of minimize the safety line. Throughout excessive season, the safety examine can take as much as half-hour.
Your benefits
Be versatile – You identify the beginning time and tempo
Particular person Journey – You don’t depending on a gaggle!
Consumer pleasant
Combi ticket: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Sunken Palace Basilica Cistern and Audio Information App
Value: €51.30
Low cost: 5%
Bestseller Tour
Immediate Affirmation
Free Cancelation
Straight Accessible
You could 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 lets you 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 strains (besides Hagia Sophia) and revel in a 30 min highlights tour with a licensed native tour information inside every museum. Afterwards, you’ll be able to 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 totally 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 together with your Istanbul Welcome Card information these prime museums.
Vital info
You may skip ticket strains with guides, however can’t skip the safety line.
Your benefits
Be versatile – You identify the beginning time and tempo
Particular person Journey – You don’t depending on a gaggle!
Consumer pleasant
Sunken Palace: Fast entry with highlights tour + audio information
Value: €19.95
Length: versatile
Included:
– Fast admission to the Sunken Palace
– English talking tour information
– Audio information
Cancellation deadline: You could 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 strains. Plus, you’ll get a highlights tour and an audio information app!
Afterwards, you’ll be able to 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 info
Hagia Sophia is located within the European aspect of Istanbul, within the Sultanahmet district (Previous Metropolis), near Topkapi Palace. It’s only some minutes’ stroll from the motels in Sultanahmet. Istanbul Worldwide Airport is 20 km away.
Hagia Sophia is open daily 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 isn’t accessible because of the many steps and cobblestones.
Is images allowed in Hagia Sophia?
Sure, images is allowed contained in the Hagia Sophia.
Nonetheless, using tripods is prohibited.
Is there a gown code to observe at Hagia Sophia?
Sure, since it’s a spiritual web site, all guests are anticipated to decorate modestly. If doable, shorts and sleeveless tops shouldn’t be worn.
Ladies should put on a scarf to enter the mosque. Free headscarves could be discovered close to the doorway.
As well as, guests should depart their footwear outdoors.
Extra helpful details about the Hagia Sophia
Over time, Hagia Sophia has withstood quite a few occasions and disasters, resembling the autumn of highly effective civilizations, fires or earthquakes.
At the moment, 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. Irrespective 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 signifies that there’s rather more to study this place than meets the attention.
Allow us to take you on a tour by way of among the most attention-grabbing info and figures surrounding Hagia Sophia…
Extraordinary structure and quick development time of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was inbuilt an extremely quick 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 most important dome that hangs from the ceiling, in addition to two semidomes (half-domes) on both aspect of the longitudinal axis. When it comes to its format, the constructing is nearly sq.. It has three aisles, that are separated by columns.
There are additionally galleries above the aisles, and huge marble pillars that assist the dome. The partitions above the galleries and the bottom of the dome have home windows that allow in pure mild. 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 type in Byzantine structure. It remained the most important cathedral on the earth till Seville Cathedral was constructed. The vestibule positioned outdoors the jap a part of the atrium is at present closed off.
To entry the inside atrium, there are 5 doorways one can enter by way of. From this vestibule, there are 9 doorways main into the nave itself. Entry to higher galleries is made doable by ramps – a standard function amongst Constantinople church buildings beneath development throughout that point interval.
Hagia Sophia Mosaics
The Hagia Sophia was superbly adorned 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 lots 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 stunning 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 beneath the path of Thomas Whittemore.
In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered that Hagia Sophia grow to be a museum. The restoration and growth then befell. Nonetheless, lots of the nice mosaics uncovered by the Fosatti brothers have been most likely destroyed with the 1894 earthquake.
Tunnel of the Hagia Sophia
In response to legend, Hagia Sophia was vital for the Vatican. There have been tunnels main from Hagia Sophia to the Princes Islands (Kinaliada). The underground tunnels ran by way of the town of Constantinople. The large cistern was positioned underground.
The tunnels beneath Hagia Sophia reached the hidden rooms with secret writings that have been hidden there in the course of the sieges. Researchers revealed some tombs beneath 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 slim corridors about 70 centimeters excessive, presumably 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 most likely 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 possibility to construct an much more magnificent alternative.
At the moment’s construction is basically the identical because the constructing from the sixth century, though an earthquake induced 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 bolstered 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 wood minaret, giant chandelier, mihrab (area of interest indicating the path of Mecca), and minbar (pulpit) have been added. The pink minaret on the southeast nook of the constructing was more than likely constructed by Mehmed II or his son Bayezid II. The slim white minaret on the northeast aspect of the mosque was constructed by Bayezid II. The 2 similar minarets on the west aspect 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 stunning mosaics present essential perception into the state of mosaic artwork within the interval simply after the top of the iconoclastic controversy within the eighth and ninth centuries.
Hagia Sophia is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Web site, which additionally consists of different historic buildings and websites in Istanbul, such because the Blue Mosque.
Journey Dudes
I am certain you’ve got 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.
