The prices
| Ticket | Price seen | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Hagia Irene alone | about 1,050 TL | One older source gives 900 TL |
| Combined palace + Harem + Hagia Irene | about 2,750 TL | National Palaces ticket |
| Free | up to age 6 | Reduced rate for ages 7-25 (students) |
The MüzeKart is not valid; the Museum Pass Istanbul covers the main palace but, per a page read on 30 October, neither the Harem nor Hagia Irene: check when you buy.
Alone or combined?
If you are also visiting Topkapı Palace and its Harem, the combined ticket costs less than adding the tickets up: enter Hagia Irene first, since it sits in the First Courtyard, before passing through the Gate of Salutation. The GetYourGuide offer adds an audio guide and booking; compare it with the day's official rate. For the differences between tickets, see Topkapı and Harem: which offer. If you only want the church, the single ticket is enough: allow 30 minutes.
Hours and concerts
Open 9am to 6pm, ticket office until 5pm, closed Tuesday like the palace (October 2026). The church is also a concert hall: the Istanbul Music Festival is held there each June (11-25 June in 2026) and it may then close to visitors. Check the dates before you come.
What you see
One of the oldest churches in Constantinople, rebuilt under Justinian after 532; never turned into a mosque. In the apse, a plain black cross on a gold ground from the Iconoclast period (8th century); the synthronon; the surviving atrium. Our page: Hagia Irene, next to Hagia Sophia.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the Topkapı ticket? No: a single ticket exists.
When is it closed? On Tuesdays, and during some concerts.
The Istanbul Authority editorial team, 30 October 2026.
