Hagia Sophia was built in 537 and after serving as a church for 900 years, it was converted into a mosque in 1453. Although the building serves as an active mosque today, its upper floor can be visited with a ticket as a museum.
Muslims who want to worship in Hagia Sophia and tourists admitted through different entrances. In order to pray, you can enter from the main gate on the park side, or for touristic visits, from the tourist entrance gate next to Topkapi Palace.
Those who enter the building from the tourist entrance climb a slight ramp and go directly to the upper floor galleries. In this way, you can see mosaics from the Byzantine period and take photos of the incredible dome of the building from the upper floor.
In this article, you can find the most up-to-date information about Hagia Sophia ticket prices and opening hours. The information in the article was updated in June 2024.
At the end of the article, you can also find a section explaining how to get to Hagia Sophia from Beyoglu (Taksim Square, Cihangir, Galata, Karakoy) and the remote neighborhoods of the Old City.
How to Quickly Enter the Building?
Entering this mosque in the summer months may be difficult due to the high tourist season. Long queues form in front of the ticket offices of the building from April to November.
In order to quickly enter the mosque, you can purchase tickets for the guided group tour online from here. These tickets are slightly more expensive than standard entry tickets, but they give you the advantage of fast track.
As a second option, you can also review this guided skip-the-line tour, which includes both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, via the link here. This tour is one of the best-selling and highest customer satisfaction tours in Istanbul.
Guests with skip-the-line tickets meet their guides at the designated point at the entrance of the Hagia Sophia and quickly enter the place. Thanks to the guide’s explanations, you will also have preliminary information about this ancient building, which has a sophisticated history.
Hagia Sophia Ticket Price for 2024
Hagia Sophia ticket price is 25 Euro as of 2024. Museum Pass Istanbul is NOT valid for entrance to Hagia Sophia. Information about the entrance fee was last updated on June 14, 2024.
Hagia Sophia Tickets (Skip-the-Line) 2024
Hagia Sophia skip-the-line tickets give you the opportunity to enter the mosque with a guided group. Although these tickets are slightly more expensive than the standard entry ticket, they are perfect for avoiding long lines, especially during the tourist season.
Those with skip the line tickets meet in front of the entrance of the building designated for tourists. You can easily find guides because they carry the flag of the relevant company. This way, you can enter with your group in an orderly manner, while listening to the history of the building from the local guide.
If you want to enter Hagia Sophia with the advantage of fast track, you can buy your skip-the-line guided tour tickets via the link here. These tickets are under the guarantee of GetYourGuide, an international company, and they can be canceled and refunded up to 24 hours before the activity.
As a second option, you can also review this alternative skip-the-line tour, which includes both Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, via the link here. This tour is one of the best-selling and highest rated tours in Istanbul.
Hagia Sophia Visiting Hours 2024
Hagia Sophia visiting hours are between 9:00 in the morning and 19:30 in the evening for 2024. Please note that the information was last updated on June 14, 2024.
On the other hand, the other gate of Hagia Sophia on the park side is open during prayer hours for locals and foreign tourists who want to worship. The routes of worshipers and touristic visitors are separate from each other.
In order to predict Hagia Sophia’s prayer times in advance, you can check the prayer times in Istanbul from the table on this official site. Shortly before the adhan is recited, the doors of the mosque are opened for Muslim visitors.
One of the most important details about visiting the mosque is that Hagia Sophia is closed to visitors between 12:00 and 14:30 on Fridays due to congregational prayers. Please pay attention to this detail if you plan your visit for Friday.
How to Get to Hagia Sophia?
In order to go to Hagia Sophia from Taksim, you first need to go to Kabatas, the first stop of Tram T1. You can go to Kabatas with Funicular F1 from Taksim Square.
If you are not staying in Taksim Square but in other neighborhoods of “Beyoglu” such as Cihangir, Galata and Karakoy, you can go to the nearest T1 station (all within walking distance).
Tram T1 will cross the Galata Bridge and come to the Old City. The first stop here is Eminonu, where Spice Bazaar is located. After passing Eminonu, Sirkeci and Gulhane stops respectively, you will reach Sultanahmet.
Hagia Sophia is just 5-minute walk from Sultanahmet tram station. If you are looking for more information about using public transportation in Istanbul, you can review this article that provides metro and tram maps and directions.
To go to Hagia Sophia from the districts of the Old City (Laleli, Beyazit, Eminonu and Sirkeci), you can use Tram T1 or follow the rails of T1 to reach Sultanahmet and then the mosque in its center.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Hagia Sophia is the most important tourist attraction in Istanbul. After visiting here, you can also visit nearby places such as the Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern. Also, the famous shopping place Grand Bazaar is a 15-minute walk from here.
The best way to enter the mosque quickly is to buy a fast track guided tour ticket. You can use this link to buy a skip-the-line entrance ticket to Hagia Sophia. Tickets are guaranteed by GetYourGuide, an international travel platform, and can be canceled up to 24 hours before the start of the activity.
Finally, on the home page of this website, you can find information about the most important tourist attractions and museums in the city. Prepared as a practical tourist guide, this site contains all the necessary information for first-time visitors.
Written by Serhat Engul
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