Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya as the locals fondly call this architectural marvel is a millennium and a half old building which stands as a testament to the most historical events of Istanbul. Located in the old city of Istanbul in Sultan Ahmet, this magnificent structure is a part of Istanbul’s Historic Areas UNESCO World Heritage site along with the other historic locations and buildings of the city.
This world-famous landmark of Istanbul has gone through numerous changes under the two greatest empires, Byzantine and Ottoman since its construction. Originally built as a church in 325 AD by Roman emperor Constantine I, the structure was damaged by the fire in 404 AD, which was enlarged and rebuilt later by Constant I but once again it became the victim of fire and fell under the doomed state during the Nika riots of Istanbul. It was after this the emperor Justinian I envisioned and rebuilt a grand cathedral between 532-537 AD which we see today. Although the massive dome of the cathedral was partially destroyed in the earthquake in 558 AD it was restated in the mid 14th century.
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Hagia Sophia or The church of Holy Wisdom was used as a church for 916 years until the Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453 and Mehmed II remodeled this into an imperial mosque adding four Minarets, a mihrab in the exterior and a minbar, chandelier and disks bearing Islāmic calligraphy to the interiors. After 482 years, Hagia Sophie was finally converted to the present day museum and is now open to visit for the tourists from all over the world.
After seeing tons of pictures of this timeless monument of Istanbul on every social media sites for years now, I had it as my top priority to visit this when in Istanbul. After our tour of Topkapi Place, my husband and I walked towards Hagia Sophia which is just ten minutes away from the palace. Purchasing the entry tickets from the counter (which costs 40 TL) we walked inside this unbelievably grand and beautiful museum and I must say this was by far one of the oldest museums I have never visited.
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We walked in through the Emperor Door and were greeted by a massive room with high walls, ornamentally decorated ceilings, numerous marble pillars, beautiful chandeliers and an enormous dome and it felt as if we walked through a time machine and entered the Sultanate era of Istanbul. The beauty of Hagia Sophia, when seen in person, is truly awe-inspiring with its stupendous interiors, where the walls are adorned with Christian frescos, plaques with Islamic calligraphy showing us the glimpse of its past.
After wandering through the Nave for a while, we ventured on to the upper gallery walking through the ancient, uneven stoned ramp. From the upper gallery, you will be able to get an uninterrupted view of the Nave and the majestic dome of Hagia Sophia. Among the various architectural features of Hagia Sophia, its massive dome has gained a lot of attention over the years. The dome stands 182 feet 5 inches from the ground level and 102 feet 6 inches in diameter is supported by the smaller domes on the sides.
The upper gallery has some of the beautiful mosaic arts from the Byzantine time which were covered with the yellow paint when the building was converted into a mosque. A lot of restoration work is still under progress inside the Hagia Sophia, so one part of the Nave was occupied by the lots of scaffoldings.
But nevertheless, nothing damped our tour of this monument as being inside one of the ancient monument was quite exciting for us.
Hagia Sophis is open from 9.00-19.00 during summer and 9.00-17.00 in winter and the cost per ticket is 40 TL.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading this post! Have you visited this world-famous monument? Please do leave a comment below regarding the thoughts about it.
I would consider Hagia Sophia as one of the top 10 architectural sites that I would love to visit someday. It is so beautiful and majestic. Your photos have done it so much justice. I would love to have the opportunity to see it for myself someday.
Thank you Abigail, we highly recommend you to visit this while in Istanbul…:)
Istanbul is the quintessential melting pot of the cultures and hence a polyglot place. Ever since I visited Jordan, Byzantine and Ottoman histories intrigued me. Turkish mosques have such a unique architecture. I loved all the pictures you have shared here.
Thank you so much Abhinav..:)
I cannot wait to visit Istanbul! I really enjoyed your photo walk-through of the Hagia Sophia. Such a rich history and a beautiful location. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you Savannah, hope you enjoyed reading the post..:)
The Hagia Sophia looks amazing and I love the way you described the meeting up of several religions over the course of centuries. It’s really inspiring me to go!
Thank you Dan..:)
Glad to know Istanbul government is doing so much to protect and maintain its architectural marvel. The height of the Emperor door is impressive. The interiors of the church is beautiful. I would love to visit this place when in Istanbul. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Whole of Hagia Sophia is very impressive that you will left awestruck at this beauty…:)
I’m planning to visit Istanbul in January. The Hagia Sophia and the UNESCO region are a point of interest I will definitely add to my itinerary. You’ve photographed it in such detail . At 182 feet in height it’s pretty huge!
Thank you James, hope you have a good time in Istanbul..:)
I’ve had Hagia Sophia on my list for a long time too but I’m get to visit. The Islamic and Christianity relics fascinate would always fascinate me. Seeing this museum closely now, I realized I never noticed it Byzantine influence. I’ll love to visit Hagia Sophia someday and relish its splendour.
Thank you Lydia, hope this post has inpired you to plan a visit soon Lydia..:)
Oh my goodness, all of this looks so beautiful!!! I have Turkey on my list but to be honest hadn’t heard of Hagia Sophia. I think I’ll get to Turkey next year, so I’m going to pin this for when I go! Your beautiful photos have really motivated me even more.
Thank you so much Christie…:)
I am fascinated by Hagia Sophia , purely because of the history. The cathedral , converted into a mosque and later a museum is quite fascinating in nature. I can’t wait to see it in real. Lovely photographs. Loved reading about it. .
Thank you Parnashree. 🙂
Love the pictures 🙂
Thank you Veidehi..:)
Fascinating history beautifully captured!
Thank you 🙂
Beautiful narration with grand and lovely pictures !! You both traveled together ??
Thank you Yogi! No, since we are married and residing in different cities we travel with our respective husband’s now..:)
Truly Amazing. Thanks a lot for the post and pics.
Best wishes for 2018.
Thank you Rupam and wish you the same…:)
So grand, even with its signs of aging. 🙂
Thats true! 🙂
You have captured the grand mosque in detail. Beautiful captures.
Thank you Sapna! 🙂
That is a very detailed post and thank you for sharing such amazing pictures. Istanbul has a luxurious heritage and it is on our bucket list since forever. Hope we make it someday
Thank you for the love!
I love the history and information. You did a great job on this post. Awesome pictures as well.
Thank you Tyler!
Enjoyed the historical background in the narration. Istanbul has been in my bucket list for the longest time. It is high time I finally get there.
Istanbul is a beautiful city, a must visit if you are a history lover!
What an unique piece of art… Well documented my friend!
Can you please increase the font size of your post text? 🙂
Happy travelling….
Thank you :). We will try and change the font size, thank you for the input.
Oh how I would love to visit there if for no other reason but to take photographs. Architecture and design is one of my favorite things to look at when I travel.
Then you must visit the Hagia Sophia! it is a treasure for architecture enthusiasts.
Hagia Sophia had intrigued me since I read about it in a book. The place is a perfect blend of various culture. The interiors of the church are wonderful. Your post had transported me to the place I so wanted to visit!