Hagia Sophia, Ayasofya in Turkish, dominates Sultanahmet Square, facing the [Blue Mosque](/fr/attractions/mosquee-bleue), in the heart of Istanbul's old city. A mosque again since 2020, it is open every day; since 15 January 2024, foreign visitors pay €25 for a route through the upper gallery, while the ground floor is reserved for worshippers who come to pray. Allow about an hour for the visit. Built from 532 to 537 under Justinian by the architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, the basilica was the great church of Constantinople for almost a thousand years, then a mosque from 1453 and a museum from 1934 to 2020.
Highlights
The building and its minarets
Seen from the square, the mass of brick and buttresses carries a dome about 31 m across, rising to some 55 m. The four minarets were added after the Ottoman conquest of 1453, under Mehmed II and his successors.
The nave seen from the galleries
From the upper gallery you take in at a glance the nave beneath the dome, the mihrab facing Mecca and the large 19th-century calligraphic roundels bearing the names of Allah, Muhammad and the first caliphs. The carpeted prayer hall is seen from above without disturbing worshippers.
The Deesis mosaic
In the south gallery, this 13th-century panel shows Christ between the Virgin and Saint John the Baptist, who intercede for humanity. Although the lower part has been lost, the delicacy of the faces makes it one of the major works of Byzantine art.
The imperial mosaics
Also in the south gallery, two panels show Byzantine rulers offering gifts to Christ and the Virgin: Empress Zoe and Constantine IX Monomachos in the 11th century, then John II Komnenos and Empress Irene in the 12th century.
The Viking graffiti
On a marble parapet of the upper gallery, a runic inscription carved by a Scandinavian, probably a Varangian guard of the emperor, records the name Halfdan. Look for it under its Plexiglas cover.
Opening hours and tickets
Tourist visit of the upper gallery: 9am to 7:30pm from 1 October to 1 April, 8am to 7:30pm from 1 April to 1 October, ticket office closes at 7pm; €25 for foreign visitors, free for accompanied children under 8 on presentation of an identity document. The Museum Pass Istanbul is not valid. Tickets are sold at the ticket office facing the Fountain of Ahmed III, from where a tunnel and a ramp under the minaret of Bayezid II, on the south façade, lead up to the galleries. Access to the ground floor for prayer remains free. Just behind, in the first courtyard of Topkapı Palace, stands [Hagia Irene](/fr/attractions/sainte-irene-istanbul), another church from the time of Justinian.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Hagia Sophia is a working mosque: women must cover their hair, and everyone must wear clothing that covers the shoulders and knees; bring a headscarf. On Fridays, visits are suspended from 12pm to 2pm during the congregational prayer: plan your day accordingly (prices checked in October 2026). Do not photograph worshippers during prayer.
How to get there
Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul. Tram T1, Sultanahmet stop, a few minutes' walk away. The [Basilica Cistern](/fr/attractions/citerne-basilique) is right opposite, across the street.
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