Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. The museum has always been the precious of its time.
Hagia Sophia (means “Divine Wisdom”) is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque (29 May 1453 – 1931), and now a museum (1 February 1935 – today ) in Istanbul, Turkey. Called Hagia Sophia in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin, Ayasofya in Turkish, it was built on the site of Byzantium’s acropolis by Emperor Justinian (527-65 AD) in 537.
Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) is universally acknowledged as one of the great buildings of the world. Hagia Sophia was choosen a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1985.
Fast Facts
| Site Information | |
| Names: | Hagia Sophia; Aya Sofya; Ayasofya; St. Sophia; Church of Holy Wisdom |
| Location: | Istanbul, Turkey |
| Faiths: | Original/Primary: Christianity Current/Secondary: Islam |
| Denomination: | Greek Orthodox |
| Dedication: | Holy Wisdom |
| Categories: | Cathedrals; Mosques; World Heritage Sites |
| Architecture: | Byzantine |
| Date: | 532-537 |
| Patron(s): | Justinian |
| Architect: | Isidore of Miletus; Anthemius of Tralles |
| Size: | Width: 230 ft (70 m) Height: 246 ft (75 m) Dome diameter: 102 ft (31 m) |
| Features: | Byzantine Mosaics |
| Status: | Museum |
| Visitor Information | |
| Address: | Sultanahmet, Eminönü, Istanbul, Turkey. |
| Coordinates: | 41.008548° N, 28.979938° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Phone: | +90 (212) 522 1750, 522 0989 |
| Public transport: | Tram: Sultanahmet |
| Opening hours: | 9am-4:30pm (except on mondays) |
The museum is open between 09:00 – 16:30 except on Mondays, with longer opening hours during the summer months.
Admission Fee : 20 TL (around $13 / GBP 8 )
Contact Information:
Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya Müzesi)
Address: Sultanahmet, Eminönü, Istanbul, Turkey.
Tel: +90 (212) 522 1750, 522 0989
Fax: +90 (212) 512 5474
Note: Admission fees, opening hours or days of closure of the museums might be changed without prior notice, or that museum might be closed for restorations. Please check with the site directly before making a special trip.
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