Orthodox temple in the center of Muslim Istanbul - Hagia Sophia. tour of hagia sophia istanbul

In my opinion, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of the most interesting and colorful monuments in! Everything in it is amazing: both the internal appearance, and the fusion of two religions, and the richest history, and amazing energy. I confess that we left the museum very impressed.

It's hard to believe, but the temple hagia sophia(Cathedral of the Wisdom of God) was built in 6th century emperor Justinian. Moreover, this was already the third attempt to build an Orthodox church on this site.

Initially, there was a church from the time of Constantine the Great, from which not a stone remained after the bloody popular uprising. In the 5th century, Emperor Theodosius II erected a “second Sophia”, which today only a few fragments remind of. Oddly enough, but this version of Hagia Sophia was also destroyed as a result of the brutal Nika uprising in 532.

However, in just five years, Justinian rebuilt the temple. The new splendor of gold, silver, colored marble and ivory cost three (!) annual incomes of Byzantium of those times!

IN middle of the 15th century Sultan conquered Constantinople Mehmed II. And then the Christian church turned into a Muslim mosque with four minarets. And Hagia Sophia gets a new name - Hagia Sophia. Priceless mosaics, faces of saints and frescoes are roughly covered with a thick layer of plaster. By the way, historians believe that only this saved works of art from destruction.

The Hagia Sophia became a museum relatively recently - in 1934. At the same time, Muslim worship services were stopped in it by order of the then President of Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. And thirty years ago Hagia Sophia, along with other monuments of the historical center of the city, was finally included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is amazing how today the two world religions coexist peacefully under one roof:

When Hagia Sophia was recognized as a museum, ancient Orthodox frescoes began to be restored, clearing the walls of plaster.

Here you can see the process of restoration of frescoes:

2. Useful information

2.1. Where is

The temple-museum is located in the historical center, where most of the city's attractions are concentrated - in the Sultanahmet area. The cathedral is located directly opposite Sultanahmet Park, not far from and.

Location on the map:

2.2. How to get there

By bus

Any bus heading towards Sultanahmet goes to the cathedral-museum. For example, you can leave the Taksim area by bus number T4.

On the light rail

We need the T1 tram line. The nearest stop to the museum is called Sultanahmet ("Sultanahmet"). If, after getting off the tram, you face the Sea of Marmara, then the Hagia Sophia will be located on the left.

By taxi

In Istanbul, a taxi is quite expensive, but you can hail a taxi anywhere at any time. To minimize the risk of fraud, it is better to book a taxi at your hotel, specifying the cost in advance. You can also order private transfer in advance.

On foot

The main attractions of Istanbul are located in the historical center of the city - Sultanahmet. Therefore, it is most logical to stay in this area - so you can get around all the main attractions on foot, and at the same time take a walk around Istanbul.

Book an excursion

Usually includes not only a visit to Hagia Sophia, but also the famous Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern.

You can book an excursion at your hotel, but it is much more interesting to go on an excursion from local residents. You can see what interesting excursions the locals conduct in Istanbul here.

Square in front of the entrance to Hagia Sophia:

2.3. Visit time

WITH April 15 to September 30 the museum is open to visitors from 09.00 to 19.00. In the "winter" time - from 09.00 to 17.00.

The museum is closed on Mondays Please keep this in mind when planning your schedule.

A reminder of what and what time it closes. The last visitor can enter the territory of the museum until 18.00, and climb to the upper gallery until 18.15:

2.4. Price

The price of the entrance ticket to the museum is 30 Turkish Lira.

Behind 85 lire you can buy a museum card (Museum Pass Istanbul), which gives you the right to visit dozens of museums in Istanbul for free and without a queue for five days:

At two ticket offices you can buy an entrance ticket for cash (only Lira):

Ticket vending machines only accept bank cards. In addition to the entrance ticket to Hagia Sophia, you can also purchase a museum card here:

Please note that the machine only accepts chipped cards. I could not buy a ticket using my magnetic stripe card, I had to go to a long queue.

To save time and not stand in this queue, you can buy a ticket in advance online. True, it will cost a little more, but the transfer from the hotel is included:

2.5. Official site

Information on the official website is presented in English and Turkish http://ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr.

3. Photo tour of the temple

The territory of Hagia Sophia can be divided into two parts: the museum itself and several rooms with the tombs of the sultans of Istanbul.

3.1. Territory with the tombs of the sultans

The territory with the tombs is located on the other side of the main entrance to Hagia Sophia, the entrance there is completely free, mostly locals come here:

A map will help you navigate:

Mausoleum of Sultan Mehmed III, his wife and children:

The family tomb of amazing beauty was built almost 400 years ago! Sultan Mehmed III is often referred to as Ghazi (fighter for justice). According to contemporaries, he personally led the army on military campaigns, reviving a tradition that had been lost before.

The territory is well-groomed and pleasant, but apart from it there is nothing to see:

A crowd of tourists follows from the tombs to the temple, for this we go around the temple:

3.2. Temple-Museum Hagia Sophia

At the entrance, visitors can take an audio guide (available in Russian), the cost is 20 lira:

On the territory of the museum, we found a map of the location of attractions in the Sultanahmet area:

A small area near the temple is allocated for toilets and cafes:

Toilets - right, cafe - on the left, entrance to the cathedral - on the right:

Anyone who speaks English well can get around St. Sophia Cathedral without a guide, focusing on a convenient plan:

Signatures for the scheme:

The dimensions of the temple are amazing - its height is 55 meters, and the diameter of the dome exceeds 30 meters!

Pay attention to how tiny people seem against the background of this architectural complex:

And this is how Hagia Sophia looks close up, the building is very ancient:

For a thousand years, Hagia Sophia was considered the largest Christian church on the planet. Now Hagia Sophia is the fourth largest complex after St. Peter's in Rome, St. Paul's in London and the Nativity of the Virgin in Milan. But its dome, in terms of its size, remained the world record holder there!

From the back, the temple looks like this:

Fountain next to the temple (1740):

Ancient bell:

On some walls we noticed inscriptions in Church Slavonic:

We go to the temple-museum:

Inside the temple seems much larger than outside. An amazing feeling of space, light and lightness:

Even the photo shows that there are always a lot of tourists in Hagia Sophia:

It feels like the size of the Hagia Sophia is comparable to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow:

The ceiling is decorated with surahs from the Koran:

Next to the suras is a fresco with the Mother of God (Islam and Christianity coexist peacefully under one roof, it's just incredible!):

View of the upper gallery on the second floor:

Although the scaffolding spoils the photo, it allows you to visually assess the height of the dome:

Place of coronation of Byzantine emperors:

The floor in this place is lined with several types of rare marble. It is forbidden for mere mortals to walk on it:

The "happy place" of the temple - here you can make a cherished wish:

This column of St. Gregory is sometimes called "weeping" (for some reason, moisture constantly condenses on it). To make the cherished dream come true, you need to stick your finger into the hole in the copper plate and scroll it inside 360º.

Those wishing to make a wish - the sea, still strange people:

Tourists are not allowed to enter certain rooms of the temple. The imam used to climb this staircase to read prayers:

On the ground floor is the ancient library of Sultan Mahmud I, built in 1739:

We rise to the second floor:

You can navigate by the signs:

The medieval corridor looks creepy:

The second floor meets tourists with souvenir shops:

Still, it is strange that in the center of Muslim Istanbul you can buy an Orthodox icon or an Easter egg:

The choice of icons is impressive:

View from the top gallery:

View from the window of Hagia Sophia on the tombs of the sultans:

The famous marble gates (VI century), they used to separate the main part of the temple from the private imperial rooms:

After the gate, you can see the most interesting ancient mosaics. It is forbidden to photograph them with a flash, they can be damaged:

Restored mosaics of the 13th century (Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and John the Baptist):

It is believed that the entire lower part of the priceless mosaic was stolen for souvenirs by barbarian tourists.

This mosaic depicts the Virgin Mary and Emperor John II Komnenos with his wife and son. The emperor appeared on the mosaic not by chance - hundreds of years ago he donated an impressive amount of money for the construction of the temple:

The most famous mosaic of Hagia Sophia: Jesus Christ sitting on a throne with the Gospel:

On the 1st floor of the temple, you can read the history of the construction of Hagia Sophia, as well as look at ancient maps. For example, ancient Istanbul (and then Constantinople) looked like this:

Notice how many churches! Now, of course, the face of Istanbul has changed significantly.

Map during the Byzantine period. Three Romes at once: Moscow, Rome and Constantinople:

4. Conclusions

Hagia Sophia is an incredibly interesting and colorful place! Moreover, it is worth going there regardless of religion - the two world religions are so intertwined that now the temple in the first place is an unusual and unique museum of history. No wonder this temple is called the "visiting card of Istanbul." From its size, beauty and energy literally takes your breath away! I advise everyone to definitely go up to the second floor - there are the most interesting mosaics.

In time, visiting Hagia Sophia will take at least two hours. It is better to plan an excursion in the morning - by the middle of the day crowds of tourists crowd into the cathedral.

By the way, Hagia Sophia is one of the few places worth visiting with a guide (or at least with an audio guide). Excursions are held there all the time - so you can join a group and learn a bunch of interesting facts about the amazing history of the temple at any time. In extreme cases, take the lonely planet guide to Istanbul with you - it describes in sufficient detail about the temple, its history and architecture.

5. Video

And now I propose to look at Hagia Sophia with our eyes:

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Aya Sophia inside.

The history of Hagia Sophia begins in the 6th century, when Emperor Justinian built it in its current form. The figure is monstrously ancient and unlikely, because, as the story goes, for the next almost a whole thousand years, advanced Byzantine architects did not build anything comparable in size. Then the city was conquered by “illiterate” Turks and huge mosques suddenly began to grow like mushrooms after rain… No, we don’t need such a story.

Moreover, for some reason, these mosques are stylistically very similar to the Byzantine architecture of that ancient time, including Hagia Sophia. As if this thousand years had not happened. It is often difficult to immediately determine what is shown in the photo: Aya Sophia or some of the large mosques of the 15-17th centuries, of which there are many in Istanbul.

Historians will also say that Hagia Sophia was built two centuries earlier by Constantine the Great. But then this cathedral burned down, then it was rebuilt and it burned down again, and so on. However, this has nothing to do with what we see today.

The size of the cathedral is amazing. Its height is 55 meters, and the diameter of the dome is 31 meters. Before the construction of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in the 16th century, Hagia Sophia was the largest Christian church in the world - for a thousand years! See how it rises above the landscape, how small the figures of people seem.

When the construction of the cathedral was completed, Justinian allegedly exclaimed: “Solomon, I have surpassed you!”. This refers to the legendary biblical temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem. This, of course, is a tale, but the mention of King Solomon, who was famous for his wisdom, is very curious. Especially in relation to the Temple of Wisdom (Greek "Sophia" - wisdom).

It should be taken into account that the results of biblical archeology in Palestine are zero. And there is no Solomon's temple in Jerusalem, just as there are not even traces of it. Therefore, it is obvious that the geography of the Holy Land is incorrect and it is necessary to look not there, but elsewhere. For example, on the territory of ancient Constantinople, in which almost all the Old and New Testament artifacts were located in the Middle Ages. Including the temple, which struck contemporaries with unprecedented grandeur and magnificence.

An interesting hypothesis was put forward at the time by Academician A.T. Fomenko, who identified the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem with the Hagia Sophia. According to this hypothesis, it was built by Sultan Suleiman and of course much later than is commonly believed. Incomprehensible and dark places in the Bible, describing the construction of the temple, acquire clarity and meaningfulness in the light of this theory.

A huge amount of money was spent on the construction of Hagia Sophia. Precious metals were used in the interior decoration and it literally shone with gold. This moment, by the way, takes place in the descriptions of the construction of both the temple of Solomon and the mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent. But it is confirmed only in Aya Sophia.

It is difficult to say exactly in what year the Turks plastered over all the walls of the cathedral with plaster, thus covering magnificent mosaics and frescoes from the gaze of the worshipers. Only in the 20th century the plaster was removed and these masterpieces of Byzantine art appeared to the world.

Ceiling in one of the galleries.

The main part of the temple.

Tourist ants swarm below. Unfortunately, almost half of the cathedral inside was in scaffolding.

Let me remind you of the history of the cathedral and Constantinople. In 1204, the city was captured by the crusaders, who had as their goal to conquer Jerusalem. The Crusaders sacked the city, and Hagia Sophia was no exception. Among many trophies, the warriors of the cross took away from the cathedral the famous shroud, which later became known as the Shroud of Turin.

In 1453, the Turks conquered Constantinople and turned the cathedral into a mosque. Sofia is currently a museum. On huge round shields are depicted words from the Koran.

Handprint of Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople. Of course, it doesn’t look like a palm, but there is such a legend. When Sultan Mehmed, after the storming of the city, rode into the cathedral on horseback, he leaned his hand on the column. And since his horse was walking on a mountain of corpses, the imprint turned out high from the floor.

Column with the imprint of the hand of the Sultan.

In 1054, within the walls of the Hagia Sophia, the papal legate presented the Patriarch of Constantinople with a letter of excommunication. This date is considered to be the date of the division of the Christian Church into the Catholic, with its center in Rome, and the Orthodox, with its center in Constantinople.

By the way, the fact that Constantinople was the second Rome is also, perhaps, a historical lie. Having visited both Rome and Istanbul-Constantinople, I noticed that the ancient architecture in the second one is more archaic, mostly stone, with uneven masonry, with poorly maintained geometry. In Rome, even older buildings are made of standard brick, more even and architecturally more complex, which may indicate a later construction time than in Constantinople.

Therefore, perhaps the first Rome was Constantinople. Even its very name “Konstantinov city” can be translated as “Eternal city” (Latin “constant” - constant, unchanging) - supposedly this is what Italian Rome was called from ancient times. For a seedy little town, as Rome was in the Middle Ages, such a name is not clear, but in the case of the huge Constantinople, everything is clear here.

Even the well-known phrase “All roads lead to Rome” can only refer to Rome on the Bosphorus, as a city located at the crossroads of many trade routes, both land and sea. By and large, no roads lead to Italian Rome, it is not even a port city. In general, here the Catholic Church clearly attributed the glory and rich history of Constantinople to its home.

But back to Hagia Sophia. In the photo: traces of former beauty.

Entrance to Aya Sophia, of course, is paid. The ticket costs 25 liras - about 10 euros. There are many people who want to: one line at the box office, the other - actually at the entrance to the cathedral. Inside you can walk as much as you want, but to be honest, there is not much to look at - you can see for yourself. Everything is monotonous and ascetic. Due to repeated looting, periods of iconoclasm and Turkish rule, little of the interior remains. The spirit of history and size is, of course, impressive and captivating.

Dear guests,

We visit:

1. Church of Hagia Sophia

2. Topkapi Palace

3. Basilica Cistern

4. Blue Mosque

5. Roman Hippodrome

(P walking tour)

1. Church of Hagia Sophia– This masterpiece of ancient Byzantine architecture was built in the 6th century by order of Emperor Justinian. Emperor Justinian opened it on Christmas Day, raising his hands to the sky and saying: "I have surpassed you, Solomon!" The cost of building the temple was huge and amounted to three annual incomes of the state of Byzantium, approximately 130 tons of gold. It is a symbol of the golden age of Byzantium. When it was built, the world began to separate the eastern churches from the western churches. It is the oldest Orthodox church in the world, it is 1,479 years old. It remained the largest Christian church in the world for 916 years (until the construction of St. Peter in the Vatican in the 17th century). At the beginning of the 13th century, it was plundered by the crusaders, and in the 15th century, the Ottomans who captured the city turned it into a mosque. And after the founding of the Republic of Turkey (1923) in 1935, by decree of the state, it was turned into a museum. Now it has become the most popular object of the Byzantine period. The temple impresses with its scale and beautiful interior.

2. Topkapi Palace(Palace of the Ottoman Empire) - It is built in oriental style and is a medieval symbol of Ottoman statehood. The main parts of the palace were built during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the 15th century. For 400 years, 25 sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived in this palace. The famous sultan Roxalana, the wife of Sultan Suleiman, lived in the harem of the palace. Today, the palace is a museum that houses the harem, courtyards, palace kitchen, pavilions, gardens, spiritual values, gems and objects, and a courtyard with a beautiful view of the Bosphorus. From here, for 400 years, the Ottomans ruled over the expanses of an empire that stretched across Europe and Asia, in the East and West.

3. Basilica Cistern(Underground Reservoir) - In the VI century, during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, a huge reservoir was built in the acropolis of the old city. It is located in the historical center near the Hagia Sophia. The cistern kept a large supply of drinking water in case of a drought or a siege of the city. It holds about 100 thousand tons of water. At the base of the two columns are the inverted heads of the Gorgon Medusa - one looking down and the other looking to the side. Historians still cannot figure out where these Medusa heads came from. Even today it is the largest Roman underground reservoir in Europe.

4. Blue Mosque— The Mosque was built in the 17th century directly opposite the Hagia Sophia by order of Sultan Ahmed I. The Blue Mosque got its name from 21,043 blue, green and white ceramic tiles that were used in the interior decorations. Flowers of tulips, hyacinths, pomegranate, roses, grapes and cypress adorn the tiles. There are more than 50 different completed compositions and patterns in the mosque. In addition, thanks to 260 stained-glass windows, the spaciousness and grandeur of the mosque is felt. Thanks to the unique arrangement of the windows, it seems as if the dome is suspended in the air. The only mosque with 6 minarets in Turkey. The Blue Mosque is one of the symbols of the city.

5. Roman Hippodrome- After the city became part of the Roman Empire, the emperor Septimius Severus built a large Hippodrome in the 3rd century for the entertainment of the people, where chariot races, gladiator fights and circuses were held, as in the Colosseum in Rome. The capacity of the hippodrome was about 100 thousand people. It was the heart of the political and sporting life of Constantinople for 500 years. Here you can see the oldest monument in Istanbul - the Egyptian Obelisk, which is 3.500 years old. It was brought in the IV century from Egypt, its weight is about 100 tons. It also houses the obelisk of Constantine VII and the Serpent Column. The crusaders took away the precious monuments that were at the Hippodrome, and today only these three monuments remain there.

The price includes the services of a licensed guide. The price does not include – Entrance fees to museums (Sofia Temple, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern) Tour duration: 5-8 hours

Hagia Sophia or Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal Orthodox cathedral, after the capture of the city by the Ottomans, the Sofia Cathedral was converted into a mosque, and in 1935 it acquired the status of a museum and became a world-famous monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium. In 1985, the Hagia Sophia, among other monuments of the historical center of Istanbul, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The official name of the monument today is the Hagia Sophia Museum (tour. Ayasofya Müzesi).

Hagia Sophia: history

The cathedral was built on the market square of Augusteon in 324-337 under the Byzantine emperor Constantine, but it was consecrated in 537, and that is when the official history of the cathedral begins.
During its construction, the best building material was used. Marble was brought from Proconnis, Numidia, Karista and Hierapolis. Architectural elements of ancient buildings were brought to Constantinople - eight porphyry columns taken from the temple of the Sun were delivered from Rome, and eight green marble columns were brought from the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. In addition to marble decorations, Justinian used gold, silver and ivory to add unprecedented brilliance and luxury to his decoration. The interior decoration of the temple lasted for several centuries and was distinguished by special luxury - mosaics on the golden floor, the walls of the temple were also completely covered with mosaics, both plot compositions and ornaments.
In 1935, layers of plaster covering them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics. Thus, at present, on the walls of the temple, one can see both images of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God, and quotes from the Koran on four large oval shields. On the railings of the upper gallery of the temple, you can find graffiti left throughout the history of its existence.
The sights of Hagia Sophia include the “weeping column”, covered with copper (there is a belief that if you put your hand in the hole and, feeling wet, make a wish, it will surely come true), as well as the “cold window”, where even on the hottest day a cool breeze blows.

You can easily visit Hagia Sophia on your own, or at the box office, or as part of one of the many excursions.

Excursions to the Hagia Sophia

We can offer a choice of a huge variety of excursions from our partners, the quality of the services provided are 100% sure.

The site has collected under its wing the best excursions from independent guides of Istanbul, including art historians, designers, journalists and other creative people, and the routes that they offer go far beyond the standard approach to organizing sightseeing leisure. Immersion in the local environment in such a company will be maximum, you will be able to see Istanbul from a different, non-tourist side, experience completely different sensations.

Top 3 popular excursions including Hagia Sophia on the site:

Sputnik8.com. This portal also offers several interesting excursions to the Hagia Sophia. It is also possible on it so as not to stand in line at the box office.

. Another popular tour booking service. All excursions with the inclusion of Hagia Sophia can be viewed.

Helpful information
Working mode: from 09:30 to 17:00 in "winter" time, from 09:00 to 19:00 from April 15 to September 30. Day off is Monday.
The peak attendance of the cathedral is between 11:00 and 16:00, so it's best to get up early and be among the first, so as not to often stand in a decent line at the ticket office.
Visit cost:~30TL (Turkish Lira) at the box office of the Cathedral. Valid. You can also buy a ticket inside online in order to avoid queues at the box office.

How to get to Hagia Sophia

1) On the light rail. You need to take the tram following the T1 line to the Sultanahmet stop.
2) By bus. Any bus next to the Sultanahmet stop will do.
3) On foot. If you are staying in the historical part of the city - the Sultanahmet area, then Hagia Sophia will be just a 5-10 minute walk from you.
4) Personal transfer. The best option if you are traveling with children or value your time. Order a transfer -.

Hagia Sophia on the map of Istanbul

Hagia Sophia: photos

1) There are only two cash desks selling tickets and they only accept cash. Nearby there are also ticket machines where you can pay with bank cards. You can also buy there.

2) Tickets for the Hagia Sophia.

3) Plan of the territory of Hagia Sophia. Larger - follow the link.

4) Inside the cathedral.

11) We rise to the second floor

12) Upper gallery.

13) Mosaics of the 13th century - the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and John the Baptist.

Hagia Sophia, or Aya Sophia, is the main attraction of Istanbul and one of the oldest Christian churches that have come down to us almost completely intact. This building gained worldwide fame due to its enormous size, age and architectural splendor. Aya Sophia is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.