The Hagia Sophia is likely one of the most well-liked sights in Istanbul, and for good motive – it’s an unimaginable place!
In case you’re planning a visit to Istanbul, be sure that to place the Hagia Sophia in your listing of must-sees.
Guided Hagia Sophia tickets are comparatively cheap, and there are just a few other 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 traces or crowds on the attraction. Belief us, visiting the Hagia Sophia is an expertise you received’t wish to miss!
Shopping for tickets for to the Hagia Sophia
Nevertheless, shopping for Hagia Sophia tickets is usually a bit complicated, particularly in the event you’re not accustomed to town or how Turkish ticketing works.
To avoid wasting you some hassle (and aid you take advantage of 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 is advisable to know is that there are two sorts 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 in regards to the constructing itself. However, the guided tour ticket contains an audio information in addition to entry to sure elements of the Hagia Sophia which can be often closed off to guests. In case you’re trying to be taught extra in regards to the historical past and story behind this unimaginable piece of structure, we advocate going with the guided tour choice!
Nevertheless, 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 purchase a guided tour ticket right here or a guided tour ticket with a historian right here.
Good to find out about visiting Hagia Sophia
Buying Hagia Sophia tickets is an easy course of, however there are some things you must have in mind before you purchase.
Before everything, it’s essential to know that the Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays.
Secondly, admission to the Hagia Sophia is free, except you wish to have a information, telling you extra about this lovely constructing and its historical past.
Then we advocate shopping for a tour prematurely on-line. Not solely will this prevent time, nevertheless it’ll additionally can help you 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 straightforward!
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 must buy a multi-site ticket.
Upon getting 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 youngsters underneath 2 years previous. Discounted ticket costs for youngsters 3 to 7 years previous (with legitimate picture ID). Audio guides accessible 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
- Prompt Affirmation
- Free Cancelation
- Straight Obtainable
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 happy to ask your information something in regards to 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 means of audio commentary in your smartphone app.
Necessary info
You received’t be capable to lower the safety line. Throughout excessive season, the safety test 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 gaggle!
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
Prompt Affirmation
Free Cancelation
Straight Obtainable
It’s possible you’ll 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 permits you to 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’ll be able to keep at every sight so long as you need and take heed to thrilling tales in your included audio information apps in your smartphone.
Combo ticket Istanbul is legitimate for 3 days
You possibly can go to all 3 museums in 1 day or at completely different days. Your title can be on our listing for 3 days. You possibly can come on the accessible occasions, to our assembly factors and go to together with your Istanbul Welcome Card information these high museums.
Necessary info
You possibly can 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 gaggle!
Person 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: It’s possible you’ll 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’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 facet of Istanbul, within the Sultanahmet district (Previous Metropolis), near Topkapi Palace. It’s only some minutes’ stroll from the accommodations in Sultanahmet. Istanbul Worldwide Airport is 20 km away.
Hagia Sophia is open on daily basis 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.
Nevertheless, the higher ground 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.
Nevertheless, the usage of tripods is prohibited.
Is there a gown code to comply with at Hagia Sophia?
Sure, since it’s a non secular web site, all guests are anticipated to decorate modestly. If potential, shorts and sleeveless tops shouldn’t be worn.
Ladies should put on a headband to enter the mosque. Free headscarves might be discovered close to the doorway.
As well as, guests should go away their sneakers outdoors.
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.
In the present day, this landmark hides loads of fascinating tales. What began because the Church of St. Sophia finally 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 kind of locations that at all times appears to have one thing new to supply. Irrespective of what number of occasions you go to there’s at all times some recent secret ready to be uncovered. It’s half church, half mosque – however its wealthy historical past signifies that there’s way more to find out about this place than meets the attention.
Allow us to take you on a tour by means of among the most attention-grabbing information and figures surrounding Hagia Sophia…
Extraordinary structure and quick development time of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia was in-built an extremely quick period of time – solely six years! The architects who designed it had 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 foremost dome that hangs from the ceiling, in addition to two semidomes (half-domes) on both facet of the longitudinal axis. When it comes to its structure, the constructing is sort of 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 through 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 variety in Byzantine structure. It remained the most important cathedral on this planet till Seville Cathedral was constructed. The vestibule situated outdoors the japanese a part of the atrium is at present closed off.
To entry the inside atrium, there are 5 doorways one can enter by means of. From this vestibule, there are 9 doorways main into the nave itself. Entry to higher galleries is made potential by ramps – a typical function amongst Constantinople church buildings underneath development throughout that point interval.
Hagia Sophia Mosaics
The Hagia Sophia was fantastically embellished with mosaics through 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 had been destroyed or lined through the storming of the cathedral. The mosaics reached their peak through the reigns of Basil I and Constantine VII. Throughout the Fourth Campaign in 1204, the Latin Crusaders looted many Byzantine buildings, together with Hagia Sophia. Many lovely mosaics had 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 had been whitewashed or plastered. With the restoration of the Fosatti brothers in 1847, the mosaics had been uncovered. However they remained lined till 1931, when a restoration program started underneath the route of Thomas Whittemore.
In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered that Hagia Sophia develop into a museum. The restoration and growth then came about. Nevertheless, lots of the nice mosaics uncovered by the Fosatti brothers had 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 means of town of Constantinople. The large cistern was situated underground.
The tunnels underneath Hagia Sophia reached the hidden rooms with secret writings that had been hidden there through the sieges. Researchers revealed some tombs underneath the Hagia Sophia. Amongst them had 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, 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 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. Throughout 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.
In the present day’s construction is basically the identical because the constructing from the sixth century, though an earthquake brought on 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. Nevertheless, it was sacked by the Venetians and Crusaders in 1204 through 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, massive chandelier, mihrab (area of interest indicating the route of Mecca), and minbar (pulpit) had 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 an identical minarets on the west facet had 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 imagine the constructing’s lovely mosaics present important 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 contains different historic buildings and websites in Istanbul, such because the Blue Mosque.
Journey Dudes
I am positive you have had related experiences I had while touring. You are in a sure place and a fellow traveler, or an area, tip you off on a little-known seaside, bar or lodging. Nice journey ideas from different vacationers or locals at all times add one thing particular to our travels. That was the inspiration for Journey Dudes.
