Attraction
Topkapı Palace
The sprawling Ottoman palace on Seraglio Point, with courtyards, the Harem, imperial treasury displays and Bosphorus views, plus the Byzantine church of Hagia Irene.
Hagia Sophia
Justinian's sixth-century domed basilica, now the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, with a separate visitor route through its upper galleries above the prayer hall.
At a glance
- Type
- Mosque and Byzantine monument
- Area
- Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Official site
- muze.gen.tr
Good to know
- Upper gallery visitor route
- Audio guide via QR code
- Headscarf and cover hire
Why we recommend it
Hagia Sophia was completed in the sixth century under Emperor Justinian as the great cathedral of Constantinople, became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453, spent most of the 20th century as a museum and was reclassified as a mosque in 2020. Today it is officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, and its vast dome still sets the scale for the whole of Sultanahmet.
Since January 2024 foreign sightseers no longer walk across the prayer floor. Instead a separate visitor route enters through a temporary gate opposite the Fountain of Ahmed III, close to the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, and a ramp climbs to the upper galleries. From there you look down into the domed interior and pass the Ottoman additions, the marble door known as the Gate of Heaven and Hell, and the surviving Byzantine mosaics. An augmented reality guide works through a QR code on your phone, in 23 languages, so bring headphones or buy a pair at the ticket booth.
Foreign visitors pay an entry fee in euros, while children under eight go in free with an adult and ID. Museum passes are not accepted. The visitor area closes from 12:00 to 14:00 on Fridays for midday prayers, and the prayer area is closed for cleaning until 10:00 each morning. Tickets are sold at the booth and online through the official seller, DEM Museums. Women must cover their hair, and headscarves and body covers can be rented at the booth; shorts and bare shoulders are best avoided by everyone.
Allow around an hour. Arrive early on a weekday to keep queues short, and plan around Friday midday. Be discreet with cameras and do not photograph people at prayer. The ramps and stairs on the visitor route are not suitable for people with limited mobility, who are directed to the Turkish citizens' entrance with their tickets instead.
The site suits anyone with an interest in history or architecture, and older children usually enjoy the scale of the building. Sultanahmet tram stop on the T1 line is a few minutes' walk away. The Blue Mosque faces it across Sultanahmet Square, the Basilica Cistern is just to the west and Topkapı Palace begins behind it, so it makes a natural first stop on a day in the old city.
Hagia Sophia FAQs
Is there an entry fee?
Yes, foreign visitors pay a fee in euros for the gallery visitor route, while children under 8 enter free with an adult and ID. Museum passes are not accepted.
Where do tourists enter?
Through a separate visitor gate opposite the Fountain of Ahmed III, near the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, opened in January 2024.
Can I walk on the main prayer floor?
No, sightseers follow a route through the upper galleries and look down into the prayer hall.
When is it closed to visitors?
The visitor area closes from 12:00 to 14:00 on Fridays for prayers, and the prayer area is closed for cleaning until 10:00 each day.
Is there a dress code?
Yes, modest dress is required and women must cover their hair; headscarves and body covers can be rented at the ticket booth.
Is there an audio guide?
Yes, an augmented reality guide works through a QR code on your phone in 23 languages; headphones are sold at the booth.
Is it accessible for wheelchair users?
The gallery ramps and stairs are not suitable, so visitors with limited mobility are directed to the Turkish citizens' entrance with their tickets.
How do I get there?
Take the T1 tram to Sultanahmet; the building is a few minutes' walk from the stop.