Find out how to Purchase Hagia Sophia Tickets & What to Anticipate

The Hagia Sophia is likely one of the hottest sights in Istanbul, and for good motive – it’s an unbelievable place!

In the event you’re planning a visit to Istanbul, be certain to place the Hagia Sophia in your checklist of must-sees.

Guided Hagia Sophia tickets are comparatively cheap, and there are a number of other ways to purchase them. You should purchase tickets on the door, or upfront on-line. We advocate buying your tickets online forward of time to keep away from any strains or crowds on the attraction. Belief us, visiting the Hagia Sophia is an expertise you received’t need to miss!

Shopping for tickets for to the Hagia Sophia

Nonetheless, shopping for Hagia Sophia tickets is usually 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 bother (and provide help to profit from your journey!), right here’s a fast information on learn how to purchase tickets to see the Hagia Sophia. The very first thing you must 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 acquire you entry to the Hagia Sophia, however doesn’t embrace any data or steerage concerning the constructing itself. However, the guided tour ticket consists of an audio information in addition to entry to sure elements of the Hagia Sophia which can be normally closed off to guests. In the event you’re trying to be taught extra concerning the historical past and story behind this unbelievable piece of structure, we advocate going with the guided tour choice!

Nonetheless, in the event you’re quick on time or simply need to discover at your personal tempo, then getting a daily entrance ticket would suffice.

You should purchase a guided tour ticket here or a guided tour ticket with a historian here.

Good to learn about visiting Hagia Sophia

Buying Hagia Sophia tickets is a straightforward course of, however there are some things it is best to bear in mind before you purchase.

In the beginning, 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 stunning constructing and its historical past.

Then we advocate buying a tour in advance online. Not solely will this prevent time, however it’ll additionally mean you can reap the benefits of discounted charges for teams of 10 or extra individuals. So how do you buy tickets on-line?

Determine 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 points of interest just like the Topkapi Palace or the Sunken Palace, you then’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 outdated. Discounted ticket costs for kids 3 to 7 years outdated (with legitimate photograph 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
• Instantly Obtainable

Book here!

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 way in which. After the tour, be happy to ask your information something concerning the Hagia Sophia, Byzantine Empire or Istanbul. You’ll additionally obtain a Hagia Sophia map to be able to discover by yourself and be taught extra by audio commentary in your smartphone app.

Necessary data

You received’t be capable of lower 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 bunch!
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
On the spot Affirmation
Free Cancelation
Instantly Obtainable

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 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 instances, 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 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 take heed to thrilling tales in your included audio information apps in your smartphone.

Book this tour here!

Combo ticket Istanbul is legitimate for 3 days

You may go to all 3 museums in 1 day or at completely different days. Your identify can be on our checklist for 3 days. You may come on the obtainable instances, to our assembly factors and go to along with your Istanbul Welcome Card information these high museums.

Necessary data

You may skip ticket strains with guides, however cannot skip the safety line.

Your benefits

Be versatile – You identify the beginning time and tempo
Particular person Journey – You don’t depending on a bunch!
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.

Book this ticket here!

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 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 personal tempo.

Hagia Sophia customer data

Hagia Sophia is located within the European facet of Istanbul, within the Sultanahmet district (Previous Metropolis), near Topkapi Palace. It’s just a few minutes’ stroll from the resorts 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 flooring is accessible for wheelchair customers.

Nonetheless, the higher flooring is just not accessible as a result of many steps and cobblestones.

Is images allowed in Hagia Sophia?

Sure, images is allowed contained in the Hagia Sophia.

Nonetheless, the usage of tripods is prohibited.

Is there a costume 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 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, similar 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 finally grew to become 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 all the time appears to have one thing new to supply. Irrespective of what number of instances 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 way more to find out about this place than meets the attention.

Allow us to take you on a tour by a few of the most fascinating info and figures surrounding Hagia Sophia…

Extraordinary structure and quick building time of Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia was in-built an extremely quick period of time – solely six years! The architects who designed it have been forward of their time, utilizing data of mechanics and arithmetic that was uncommon for the period.

The constructing itself is a totally 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. By way of 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 huge 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 sort in Byzantine structure. It remained the most important cathedral on the earth till Seville Cathedral was constructed. The vestibule situated 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. From this vestibule, there are 9 doorways main into the nave itself. Entry to higher galleries is made potential by ramps – a standard function amongst Constantinople church buildings underneath building throughout that point interval.

Hagia Sophia Mosaics

The Hagia Sophia was superbly adorned 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 have been destroyed or coated 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 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 underneath the course of Thomas Whittemore.

In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ordered that Hagia Sophia grow to be a museum. The restoration and growth then happened. 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 keeping with 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 through 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 slim 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 instances of hazard or strife.

Historical past of Hagia Sophia

The primary church on the location 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 hearth 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.

At present’s construction is actually 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. Nonetheless, 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 course of Mecca), and minbar (pulpit) have been added. The crimson minaret on the southeast nook of the constructing was probably constructed by Mehmed II or his son Bayezid II. The slim white minaret on the northeast facet of the mosque was constructed by Bayezid II. The 2 an identical 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 stunning mosaics present crucial 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.