Hagia Sophia in Constantinople before. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople. The temple changed its name several times

Hagia Sophia is located in Istanbul - the former Constantinople - the capital of the Roman Empire (330-395), the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261) and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). This is one of those places of world culture and religions that must be visited by a person who is looking for beauty in the world, not only human, worldly but also divine. I went to Istanbul mostly out of a passionate desire to see this magnificent creation of Byzantine architecture of the 6th century. Hagia Sophia has always attracted my attention and looking at the photos of other people of this cathedral, my heart always involuntarily sank and I realized once again that I must definitely see it with my own eyes. Such an opportunity recently appeared when my friends invited me to join them on a trip to Istanbul, which was originally dedicated not to idle rest, but to the comprehension of the historical and cultural heritage of Byzantine and world culture.

Hagia Sophia struck the imagination, captured it, entered my life as the clearest example of spiritual beauty, power, strength and glory that can only be embodied in stone. Hagia Sophia urged to listen to her, to listen to her, to absorb the music of the heavenly spheres in her image, to see her every day and once again to see this unique light sublime image. Hagia Sophia changed my world. This is the very rare case when the architecture of a building not only speaks to you, but also sounds in you like a triumphant hymn to life, holiness, light, strict but spiritual warmth and unconditional love.

I visited many interesting sights of modern Istanbul, but Hagia Sophia steadily encouraged me to talk about it in the first place. A rare feeling of inspiration overwhelms when you start your story after processing a lot of photos of Hagia Sophia and touching her unique solemn image. The processing of the photo not only stirred up the recent amazing feelings of merging with the image of Hagia Sophia with my own eyes, but also initiated the desire to show my reader as much as possible of what I saw and accepted in myself. As a result, the story about Hagia Sophia will consist of several parts. In particular, impressions about the interior spaces of this amazing structure will be expressed in the second and third posts, in the first we will try to capture the visual image of this majestic Hagia Sophia - I will make a hopeless attempt to convey in these photos all my confused impressions and feelings that live, rage in the soul and rush into the world)

On the site of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, there were previously several places of worship. In the beginning, there was Megale Ekklesia (“big church”), and the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) appeared only in the 6th century.
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The first temple was built on the site of the Augustaeon marketplace in 324-337. In Socrates Scholasticus, the construction of the first temple, called Sophia, refers to the reign of Emperor Constantius II.
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According to N.P. Kondakov, Constantius only expanded the building of Constantine. Socrates Scholasticus also reports the exact date of the consecration of the temple: "on the erection of Eudoxius to the episcopal throne of the capital, a great church was consecrated, known under the name of Sophia, which happened on the tenth consulate of Constantius and the third of Caesar Julian, on the fifteenth day of the month of February." From 360 to 380 St. Sophia Cathedral was in the hands of the Arians. Emperor Theodosius I in 380 handed over the cathedral to the Nikenians and on November 27 personally brought Gregory the Theologian, who was soon elected the new Archbishop of Constantinople, into the cathedral.
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The cathedral had a wooden roof and was shaped like a basilica. This temple burned down during a popular uprising in 404. The newly built church was destroyed by fire already in 415.

Emperor Theodosius II ordered to build a new basilica on the same site, which was completed in the same year.

This basilica consisted of five naves and was also covered with a wooden roof. On January 13, 532, as a result of the uprising of Nika, which took place during the time of Emperor Justinian (527-565), the building of the Basilica of Theodosius burned down.

"People were unhappy with the high taxes imposed by Justinian and wanted to throw him off the throne," University of London historian Caroline Goodson says in a National Geographic Channel documentary.

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The ruins of the Basilica of Theodosius were discovered only in 1936 during excavations on the territory of the Hagia Sophia.
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The Constantine and Theodosius churches were large five-aisled basilicas. A meager idea of ​​them is given only by archaeological finds, which allow us to judge only their impressive size and rich marble decoration. Also, based on its ancient descriptions, they conclude that two-tier galleries were located above the side aisles, similar to the basilica of St. Irene built simultaneously with it.

Basilica of Justinian (Hagia Sophia)

Forty days after the fire, Emperor Justinian I ordered a new church of the same name to be built in its place, which, according to his plan, was to become an adornment of the capital and serve as an expression of the greatness of the empire.
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Justinian I. Mosaic of the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna.

For the construction of a grandiose temple, Justinian bought the nearest plots of land from private owners and ordered the demolition of the buildings located on them. To manage the work, Justinian invited the best architects of that time: Isidore of Miletus and Anthimius of Trall, who had previously established themselves by building the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus. Under their leadership, 10,000 workers worked daily.

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The best building material was used for the construction of the cathedral. Marble was brought from Proconnis, Numidia, Karista and Hierapolis. Also, according to the imperial circular, architectural elements of ancient buildings were brought to Constantinople (for example, eight porphyry columns taken from the Temple of the Sun were delivered from Rome, and eight green marble columns from Ephesus).
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In addition to marble decorations, Justinian, in order to give the temple he was building an unprecedented brilliance and luxury, used gold, silver, and ivory to decorate it. The construction took three annual budgets of the richest state in the world at that time. During the construction of the Hagia Sophia, the architects used marble, stone and special light, but strong, bricks made from the soil of the island of Rhodes.
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It is because of the supernatural luxury of the Hagia Sophia that many legends appeared among the people, including the participation of heavenly patrons in the construction of the temple. According to one of the legends, Emperor Justinian I, during the grand opening and consecration of the temple by the Patriarch of Constantinople Mina on December 27, 537, uttered the following words: “Solomon, I have surpassed you!” referring to the legendary Jerusalem Temple.
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The main cathedral church was founded in 532 (February 23), and five years later, on December 27, 537, the first service was held there. Hagia Sophia later became the place where the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned.
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Sophia's Cathedral in Istanbul is one of the architectural marvels of Turkey and the whole world. This building occupies an important place among the works of art that have ever existed on our planet, before the advent of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, it was considered the largest religious building.
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Hagia Sophia has attracted attention for centuries, they not only prayed there, they admired her, they painted her. Among the most popular artists who have tried to depict her on canvas is John Singer Sargent. He owns the painting of the same name "Hagia Sophia".
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According to legend, the plan for the construction of the temple was told to Justinian by an angel. They also say that when a dispute arose between the emperor and the architects about how many windows should be under the dome, the angel "recommended" to build three in honor of the Holy Trinity.

Wisdom of God

By the way, contrary to the accepted free conception, the Hagia Sophia, called in Turkish Ayasofya (Aya Sophia), is named so not in honor of Saint Sophia, but according to the Wisdom of God (sofia - in Greek wisdom). The interpretation of Sophia as a mediator between God and the world in Christianity goes back to the Gnostic Valentine. Some representatives of Christian philosophy and theology considered Sophia as a person. Origen describes it as although "the incorporeal being of diverse thoughts, embracing the logos of the world whole", but at the same time as "animate and, as it were, alive." In early Christianity, the idea of ​​Sophia was close to the face of Christ the Logos (the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 1:24) defines Jesus as “God's power and God's wisdom”), and then to the third hypostasis of the Trinity - the Holy Spirit (the concept of feminine in Semitic languages ​​and close to Sofia in the aspects of play, fun, festivity).

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In Latin Christian literature, the term "Sophia" is supplanted by an almost synonymous designation of the mystically understood "Church", and therefore the Catholic tradition almost does not know "sophiology" proper. It is different in Byzantium, where the development of the image of Sophia as a symbol of the theocratic principle was of great importance, and in Russia, where Christianity came under the sign of Sophia (Metropolitan Hilarion describes the baptism of Rus' as the arrival of the “Wisdom of God”, that is, Sophia; Sophia was dedicated to those built in the 11th century . three main Orthodox churches in the principalities of Eastern Europe - in Kiev, Novgorod and Polotsk).

On Russian soil by the XV-XVI centuries. a rich iconography of Sophia is being formed. Sophia has the appearance of an Angel; her face and hands are of a fiery color, behind her back are two wings. She is dressed in royal attire (dalmatic, barma), on her head is a golden crown. She faces (as Christ in the iconography of the “deesis”) the praying Virgin Mary and John the Baptist; above her head is visible to the waist, blessing Christ (i.e., not identical to Sophia, but showing Himself her “head”, approximately as He is, according to the New Testament teaching, the “Head” of the Church). The personal image of Sophia, both in the Byzantine-Russian and in the Catholic tradition, is gradually approaching the image of the Virgin Mary as an enlightened creature, in which she becomes “Sophianic”, the whole cosmos is ennobled. In the Christian hagiographic tradition, the name "Sophia" is also given to a martyr who was executed in Rome in the 2nd century BC. together with his daughters Faith, Hope and Love (the names are symbolic - "Wisdom" as the mother of the three "theological virtues")

History of St. Sophia Cathedral

From the moment of construction, the name "great" was assigned to the church. For the performance of divine services in the cathedral there were numerous precious utensils. For the manufacture of the precious throne of the cathedral, according to Dorotheus of Monemvasia, “gold, silver, copper, electr, iron, glass, many honest stones, yachts, emeralds, beads, kasider, magnet, he (x) y, diamonds and other things were used. seventy-two different things." On it, the emperor placed the inscription "Yours from Yours we bring to You Yours, Christ, servants Justinian and Theodora."
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The state church and clergy of the cathedral under Justinian was designed for 525 people: 60 priests, 100 deacons, 40 deaconesses, 90 subdeacons, 110 readers, 25 chanters and 100 gatekeepers. Under Emperor Heraclius, it reached 600 people. According to the 43rd short story of Justinian, each trade and craft corporation allocated a certain number of workshops (ergastiriya), the income from which went to the needs of the Hagia Sophia.
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Entrance to Hagia Sophia from the west
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A few years after the completion of construction, an earthquake destroyed part of the cathedral: the Eastern part of Hagia Sophia, under the holy altar, fell and destroyed the ciborium (that is, the canopy) and the holy meal and pulpit.

And the mechanics (architects) admitted that since they, avoiding costs, did not arrange support from below, but left spans between the pillars that supported the dome, therefore the pillars could not stand it. Seeing this, the most pious king erected other pillars to support the dome; and in this way the dome was arranged, rising in height by more than 20 spans in comparison with the former building.
Chronography of Theophanes, year 6051/551.
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Buttresses on the east side of the cathedral
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The cathedral also suffered from the earthquake of 989, its dome was especially severely damaged. The building was propped up with buttresses, from which it lost its former appearance. The collapsed dome was rebuilt by the Armenian architect Trdat, the author of the Ani Cathedral, and the architect made the dome even more sublime.
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On July 16, 1054, in the St. Sophia Cathedral, during a service by the legate of the Pope, Cardinal Humbert, Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople was presented with a letter of exclusion. In response to this, on July 20, the patriarch anathematized the papal legates. This event was the beginning of the division of churches into Orthodox and Catholic.
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In 1204, the medieval world was shocked by the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders. The army of the western feudal lords went east, wanting to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims, and eventually captured the capital of the Christian Byzantine Empire. The knights, with unprecedented greed and cruelty, plundered the richest city and practically destroyed the former Greek power... The reasons and history of the capture of Constantinople are undoubtedly worthy of a separate story...
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minaret gate

After the restoration of the power of the Byzantine emperors (1261), the dilapidated Hagia Sophia was restored again. Under Emperor Andronicus II (1282-1328), supporting walls were erected in the eastern part of the cathedral.

Fall of Constantinople

On the night of May 28-29, 1453, the last Christian service in its history took place in the Hagia Sophia. On May 29, 1453, the temple was captured by the Turks. According to the description of the historian Dooka, they broke the locked gates of the temple and, armed with swords, burst inside, robbing the precious decorations.
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The worshipers who were in the temple were killed and, according to the surviving legend, their blood reached the level indicated by a red stripe on one of the columns. The Greeks also preserved the tradition that at the moment when the Turks broke into the cathedral, the Divine Liturgy was going on in it and the priest with the Holy Gifts was already entering the pulpit. Then, in order to preserve the Holy Gifts, part of the altar wall opened up and covered the priest, who will remain in it until the church is returned to the Orthodox; then he will come out and complete the interrupted service.
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Because of this alteration in Hagia Sophia, as in other former Byzantine temples, praying Muslims are forced to position themselves at an angle relative to the main volume of the building. Most of the frescoes and mosaics remained unscathed, according to some researchers, precisely because they were plastered over for several centuries.
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One of the most significant relics of Christianity - the shroud of Christ kept in the cathedral (the Shroud of Turin) was taken to Europe.

On May 30, 1453, Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople, entered the Hagia Sophia, which was turned into a mosque. Four minarets were added to the cathedral, and the cathedral turned into the Ayasofya mosque. Since the cathedral was oriented according to the Christian tradition - the altar to the east, the Muslims had to change it, placing the mihrab in the southeast corner of the cathedral (direction to Mecca).

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In the second half of the 16th century, under sultans Selim II and Murad III, heavy and rough buttresses were added to the cathedral building, which significantly changed the appearance of the building.
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Until the middle of the 19th century, no restoration work was carried out in the temple. In 1847, Sultan Abdulmecid I commissioned the architects Gaspard and Giuseppe Fossati to restore the Hagia Sophia, which was in danger of collapsing. Restoration work continued for two years.
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In 1935, according to the decree of Ataturk, Aya Sofya became a museum, and layers of plaster hiding them were removed from the frescoes and mosaics. In 2006, a small room was allocated in the museum complex for holding Muslim religious rites by the museum staff.

Exterior of the cathedral and architecture

Together with the apse, the length of the building is 100 m, and the width is 69.5 m. Such dimensions make it possible to call Hagia Sophia the largest church built in the east of the Roman Empire. Its dome has a height of 55.60 m from ground level and a radius of 31.87 m (in the direction from north to south) and 30.86 m (in the east direction).
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By type of architecture, it is a classical rectangular basilica. The main parts of Hagia Sophia are three naves, one apge and two narthexes, internal and external. Its main nave and transept intersect to form a cross. In other words, the central nave of the cathedral consists of four columns on which the arches are held. With the help of these arches stands a relatively flat dome. Under the dome, two more niches are attached from different sides, each of which is divided into three parts.
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This historical building is a witness to many events in ancient Constantinople (now Istanbul) and has a long history full of events: wars, fires, earthquakes, destruction.

The attraction is indicated in almost all tourist booklets, so you can imagine how popular this place is with tourists.

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The Cathedral of St. Sophia of Constantinople opened for parishioners in 537, almost 6 years after the first stone was laid at the laying of the shrine. What knowledge did the builders of Hagia Sophia need? During the construction, fragments of other destroyed temples, columns from the temple of Artemis, gold, silver and precious stones were used.

Even foreign ambassadors who came to Constantinople froze in admiration in front of the church of St. Sophia of Constantinople. This cathedral subsequently burned more than once, but each ruling emperor of that time ordered to rebuild the shrine anew.

After the conquest of Constantinople (1453), the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople became the Hagia Sophia Mosque. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Turkish government decided to turn Hagia Sophia into a museum.

This Istanbul landmark has several names: Hagia Sophia, St. Sophia Cathedral, Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. Translated from the Greek "Ayasophia" means "sacred wisdom."

At first glance, Hagia Sophia is unremarkable and has no special decorations - an ordinary building in a traditional style, of which there are a lot in Turkey. But if you first get into the courtyard, and then go inside the building, you understand that all the beauty is inside.

Even by modern standards, the building impresses with its size: 75 by 68 meters, the diameter of the huge dome is 31 meters, the height from the floor is 51 meters. More than 10 thousand workers were used in the construction, and construction technologies and successful design solutions were subsequently successfully applied in world architecture.

Initially, the cathedral did not look at all the way it is used to seeing today. Previously, the cathedral looked like a building with a large dome and a number of outbuildings on the sides. In the 15th century (after the conquest of Constantinople), the cross on the dome changed to a golden crescent, and the Cathedral became the Hagia Sophia Mosque.

4 minarets were attached to the main building in the corners (by the way, the minarets were built at different times by different sultans, so three minarets are made of white stone, and the fourth one is made of red brick). After numerous fires and destruction in the 16th century, the mosque was decided to be restored and strengthened, stone buttresses were additionally attached, which served as some kind of support to prevent the building from “slipping”. And after the 16th century, the tombs of the great sultans began to be attached to the building.

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The interior decoration is striking in its splendor. The vaulted ceilings are decorated with frescoes and stucco. After Constantinople was conquered by the Turks, all the frescoes in the cathedral were smeared with plaster, which is why they are so well preserved to this day, when during the restoration work the layer of plaster was removed and the frescoes were again revealed to the world.

Due to the color of the marble, the first two floors Hagia Sophia in Constantinople appear dark grey, almost black. And closer to the dome, especially the upper tiers, cast gold - because of the warm golden color of the frescoes and paintings on the dome.

The floor is paved with black and gray tiles, which have cracked and failed in places - these places are fenced off with special tapes. The walls are lavishly decorated with mosaics from the Byzantine period. This is mainly an ornamental mosaic, but at a later time images of saints and scenes of Christian life began to appear.

The mosaic image of the Mother of God is especially appreciated by historians., which can be seen on the apse (a semicircular niche with a vault at the altar). The mosaic is made, like all others, on a gold background, the clothes of the Mother of God are dark blue, and this combination of dark blue and gold reflects the spirit of Byzantine grandeur.

The altar and apse are very well preserved, next to it you can see the sultan's box (there was a sultan with his sons and associates during worship), and opposite was a box for the female half of the sultan's family. An important element of the interior design are the huge panels on the walls, made in the classical tradition of Ottoman calligraphy.

The museum is also famous for its huge collection of ancient icons. relating to different periods of the development of Christianity, as well as objects of Christian worship. Hagia Sophia has its own characteristics:

In the photo of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (Constantinople), which can be found in large numbers, unique frescoes, mosaics and other decorations of the building are clearly visible.

Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople

Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul) is the most grandiose and majestic architectural monument of the Byzantine style.
The cathedral was erected under the emperor Justinian the Great in 532-537 by the best architects of that time - Anthimius from Thrall and Isidore from Miletus. Three annual incomes of the Byzantine Empire were spent on the construction of the cathedral. The purpose of building the temple is to consolidate the superiority of Constantinople over other - Christian and pagan - worlds. The dimensions of this church were impressive: length - 120 meters, and width - 72. The height of the dome alone is 60 meters, its diameter is 30. The cathedral was part of the palace complex of the emperors. It was built as a large front hall of the palace.

The interior of the temple

The Hagia Sophia impresses with its interior space. Due to the design features of the building, the dome seems to float in the air. The sail (an element of the domed structure) seems to cover the interior. If there were only one dome, then the cathedral could be compared to any structure on a frame made of fabric in the form of a tent. Only the frame is located throughout the fabric. From the outside, this structural shell looks like a heap of different forms, at the top of which there is a dome on the drum. In the temple itself, two different models are combined - a basilica and a central dome. The columns of the temple are made of white marble, the walls are covered with gold paintings and, thanks to the mosaic, shimmer in the sun. The central hall is well lit by 40 windows. Two galleries on opposite sides are separated by 110 marble columns, which gives uniform illumination inside the building.

The iconostasis includes 12 golden columns. Icons, the Gospel and other holy books are also decorated with gold. The most striking decorations of the temple are chandeliers and candlesticks (six thousand), which illuminate the gigantic interior space and evoke extraordinary feelings among parishioners during worship. In its architectural and artistic image, the temple embodied ideas about the eternal divine principles.

Saint Sophia. General form

Hagia Sophia decorations delight with their beauty and brilliance of colored marble. It is not surprising why the ambassadors of the Russian prince Vladimir, who came to find out about the new religion, were so amazed during the festive service.

During the destruction of Constantinople in 1096 and in 1204, the huge wealth of the temple was plundered. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the cathedral was turned into the main mosque of the capital of the Ottoman Empire and remained so for five centuries. In 1935, the head of the Turkish state, Ataturk, ordered the opening of a museum in the cathedral. After that, restorers were invited to the temple and the corresponding work was carried out. Mosaics of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary were restored, as well as portraits of Byzantine emperors and their spouses. Above the Holy Gates, the image of the Holy Virgin has survived. The restorers also discovered images of the Holy Archangel Michael and several great martyrs.

Since the time of the Ottoman Empire, the museum has preserved a pulpit, an altar, the throne of the Sultan, and two huge candelabra. The baptistery of the temple was turned into the tomb of Mustafa I and Ibrahim.

The Church of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom of God is a unique example of Byzantine architecture of the 6th century. Its significance for the development of world architecture is enormous. This outstanding work of art has become an example for architects for many centuries. Speaking of the Byzantine style, first of all, this architectural monument is remembered. Turning their eyes to Sophia of Constantinople, Russian architects built their cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod.

The Church of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople was dedicated to Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God. For a thousand years (before the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome), it was the largest and most majestic temple of the entire medieval Christian world and the pride of the Byzantine Empire, with which its power and strength were associated. This masterpiece of late antique architecture was located in the central part of Constantinople and formed a single architectural ensemble with the Imperial Palace, the Hippodrome and other beautiful monumental buildings in the central part of the Byzantine capital.

The first temple on the site of Hagia Sophia was founded in the time of Constantine the Great in 324-337. Under Emperor Constantius II, it was completed and consecrated. In 360-380, the temple belonged to the Arians, until it was transferred by the Orthodox emperor Theodosius I.

As a result of a popular uprising that took place in 404, the temple burned down. The church built in its place was also destroyed by fire 11 years later. Under Emperor Theodosius I, the Basilica of Theodosius was erected on the same place, but under Justinian the Great, she, like her predecessors, died in a fire during the Nika uprising in 532.

Forty days after the fire, on the orders of Justinian, a new temple was laid, which, according to the emperor's plan, was to become the decoration of Constantinople and the personification of the greatness of the Byzantine Empire.

The construction of the temple was led by the best architects of that era - Isidore of Miletus and Anfimy of Trall. They had ten thousand workers at their disposal. For the construction, the highest quality and most beautiful marble from all over the empire was used, as well as architectural elements of ancient Roman buildings. The temple was richly decorated with gold. Its construction cost the empire three annual incomes. Upon completion of construction, entering the cathedral, Justinian, according to legend, exclaimed: "Solomon, I have surpassed you!"

A few years later, the temple was badly damaged by an earthquake, but was soon restored and fortified. However, it was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 989, as a result of which the dome collapsed. The temple was fortified with buttresses and because of this, it largely lost its original appearance. The dome was rebuilt by the Armenian architect Trdat. It turned out to be more sublime than the original, and as if floating in the air, thanks to the windows at the base, through which sunlight penetrated into the twilight of the temple.

Later, the Hagia Sophia was plundered by the crusaders, and after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks, it was converted into a mosque. For this, four minarets were attached to it. Since then, it has become known as Hagia Sophia. In the future, Turkish builders added buttresses and some extensions to the building, further changing the original appearance of the temple.

Thus, to this day, the Hagia Sophia has come far from its original appearance, but thanks to historical documents and archeological data, we can judge its original architecture.

Istanbul. Sultanahmet.

Sultanahmet- the heart of Istanbul, the first hill of the Second Rome. Ancient Constantinople was right here.
At the end of the 2nd century, the construction of a grandiose hippodrome began, which received its final form under Constantine the Great in the 4th century. It was a huge and magnificent building, which interfered with 100 thousand spectators.
A tour of Istanbul usually begins with Sultanahmet Square - simple and noisy, always filled with tourists and street vendors.
Located opposite each other, two main sights of the city look at each other - Hagia Sophia (AI Sophia) And Blue Mosque.
Thrice restored Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia) was the largest Byzantine church in the Christian world (before the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome).

Hagia Sophia. Istanbul.

The first temple on this site was erected in 360 by Emperor Constantine, it was called "Big Church".
But in 404, the temple was destroyed during fires set by rebels due to the execution of Bishop John Chrysostom.
In 405, the construction of a new temple began, which lasted 11 years.
But the second temple was burned during the Nika rebellion along with the imperial palace and neighboring buildings in 532.
Emperor Justinian crushed the Nike uprising and rebuilt hagia sophia in the form in which the temple has survived to this day.
hagia sophia built by the best architects of that time - Isidore of Miletus and Anfimy from Tralles. Construction began in 532 and completed 5 years later. The marble for the basilica was brought from Anatolia and Mediterranean cities.
After the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Fatih Mehmed the Conqueror converted the temple into a mosque, adding a minaret. The frescoes and mosaics were covered with plaster, curtains and wood panelling.
In the middle of the 16th century, the architect Sinan strengthened the support of the main building. Islamic elements have been added.
After the founding of the Republic of Turkey, restoration work began, and in 1935, at the direction of Ataturk, the temple was opened as a museum.
The length of the temple-museum is 100 m, and the width is about 70 m. The basilica is crowned with a giant dome system ( hagia sophia called "domed basilica"). The dome, 55.6 m high, is considered one of the most perfect in Turkey and is listed in the top five highest domes in the world.
The mosaics of Hagia Sophia belong to the middle of the 9th to the end of the 10th centuries.

Frescoes of Hagia Sophia.

Frescoes of Hagia Sophia.

Interior of Hagia Sophia.

At the entrance to the building, at a depth of 2 meters, you can see steps that served as monumental entrances to the second church, columns, capitals and friezes.

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)- impressive and majestic, is the main work of classical Turkish-Islamic architecture.

Blue Mosque. Istanbul.

The construction of the mosque began in 1609 by order of the 19-year-old Sultan Ahmed I. The architect of the mosque was Mehmed Aga, a student of the great Sinan. Blue Mosque built for seven years.
It got its name due to the interior, which is decorated with blue tiles. This blue tile is an expensive piece of art that will take your breath away.

Blue Mosque. Istanbul. Türkiye.

Unusually, in blue mosque six minarets: four, as usual, on the sides, and two slightly less high - on the outer corners of the courtyard. The legend tells that the Sultan ordered the construction of a mosque with golden minarets. ("altyn" in Turkish), but the architect, knowing that this was impossible, pretended not to have heard and built six "Alty" minarets.
Blue Mosque largest mosque in area Istanbul.

Entrance to the mosque is free, but you have to be prepared for a long queue.
At the entrance, you should take off your shoes, women should cover their heads with a scarf.

Behind the mosque is a picturesque Arasta market where you can buy Turkish souvenirs, carpets, stones, jewelry. The market is a favorite place for tourists, the prices here are quite high, but the covered rows are adapted for pleasant walks.

Arasta Market.

It is worth stopping by the Meșala cafe at the beginning of the market, the guide will say that this is a tourist place, but here you can relax after long walks, smoke a hookah, and in the evening listen to live music or watch a performance of dervishes.

Visitors to the Arasta market.

Visitors to the Arasta market.

Be sure to order Turkish tea (“tea” in Turkish is pronounced “chai”), dark and strong, it is served in tulip-shaped glass cups.

Turkish tea.

Or coffee brewed in a Turk, with the addition of sugar and coffee grounds, which takes up a good half of a cup.
Of the more unusual things worth a try muhallebi- a traditional Turkish drink, milk jelly on rice flour.
Or salep- a hot drink made from powdered orchids (salep) with the addition of milk or water, sugar and spices.

Salep seller

Returning to Sultanahmed Square, find the ice cream stand. Turkish ice cream dondurma- thick and elastic, it is made from salep - dried orchid tubers.

Do not pass by the Turkish bagel, generously sprinkled with sesame seeds. He is called simit and sell at every turn. It's amazing why the Turks love him so much!

Sims delivery 🙂

Attractive green dome German fountain. It was built in Germany and shipped to Istanbul parts along the Danube. It was assembled at this place in 1901. The fountain, decorated with golden mosaics, was a gift from the Chancellor of the German Empire Wilhelm II for Abdul Hamid during his visit to Istanbul. At that time, Germany and Türkiye were on close friendly terms.
The fountain is unusual in that its shape resembles religious fountains rather than urban ones.

German fountain.

Heading towards the Topkany Palace, next to the Sultan's Gate, one cannot fail to notice the magnificent monumental Ahmed III fountain, which is a prime example of Turkish and Ottoman Rococo architecture. The fountain was built by Ahmed Aga, the chief architect of the court in the 18th century.

Fountain of Ahmed III.

The next attraction of Sultanakhmet - Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi)- the ancient residence of the Ottoman sultans.

A huge palace complex striking in its rich collection.
Topkapi Palace was built in 1465 during the reign of Mehmed the Conqueror. The palace was abandoned in 1853 due to the fact that it was difficult to heat it. The Sultan's residence moved to Dolmabahce Palace.
Topkapi Palace- the largest and oldest of all the imperial palaces that have survived to this day. Its original area was 700 thousand square meters. It housed not only the residence of the Sultan with a harem, but also the administrative headquarters of the Ottoman Empire.

Entering the palace through the gates of the Sultan, we find ourselves in the first courtyard. It housed the guards, the royal treasury, an arsenal and warehouses.
To the left of the entrance is Church of St. Irene, or "Sacred Peace" It is the first known Byzantine church built by Constantine in 330. The church is closed to the public, it can only be accessed from a special tour.

From the first courtyard we pass to the middle one. On the right side were the Sultan's kitchens, where about 100 cooks worked. Silver cutlery and utensils are now on display here.

Tower of Justice. Topkapi Palace.

Left - harem, a completely separate story of the Topkapi Palace. Harem means forbidden place. Outsiders, especially men, were not allowed here. The Topkapi Palace harem complex consists of 400 rooms, these are living rooms, kitchens, toilets, hospitals, bathrooms, connected to each other by passages and corridors, forming a labyrinth.
The largest room belonged to the Sultan's mother (Valide Sultan). In the rooms a little smaller lived the wives who gave birth to the Sultan's son.
Once thousands of people lived here, more than half were women, as well as their children and eunuchs.

Many of the rooms and chambers were designed by the Ottoman Michelangelo architect Sinan. The harem was decorated in an Ottoman style based on the Italian Baroque.


Topkapi Palace.

Topkapi Palace.

Topkapi Palace.

Topkapi Palace.

After the harem we will go to the third courtyard. Here are the pavilions of the palace and other luxurious halls - a library, reception halls, etc. In 1536, 580 craftsmen worked in the palace: jewelers, engravers, gold chasers, seamstresses, amber craftsmen and others. Samples of their work are presented not only in the museum, passages, walls, furniture, ceilings and floors are decorated with their inlays and mosaics.
The treasury of the palace is magnificent, where unique decorations and jewels are stored. Among them is the most famous Kasikchi diamond of 86 carats, i.e. about the size of a palm. It is considered one of the largest diamonds in the world. The legend tells of a poor man who found a diamond on the street and exchanged it for three spoons. "Kashikchi" is Turkish for spoon-maker. As well as a golden throne weighing 250 kg.

Topkapi Palace.

Another attraction of Sultanahmet
Basilica Cistern- an ancient underground reservoir. From the day of foundation Istanbul did not have its own water resources, so the water supply came from the mountains with the help of aqueducts, through which water went to fountains and cisterns. The most famous aqueduct that has survived to this day is the Valens aqueduct, or Bozdugan.
There were many cisterns in Byzantium, the largest and most famous - Basilica Cistern.
Basilica Cistern was built in 532 under Emperor Justinian. After the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, it was abandoned. But years later, the inhabitants of the city found out that under their houses there is a huge reservoir of fresh water - you can draw water without leaving your home, and even catch fish that is found in the tank!
The area of ​​the cistern is about 10,000 square meters, but only part of the structure is open to the public.
The dark room is illuminated with a dim red light, 336 Corinthian and Ionian columns are reflected in the water, the sound of falling drops, everything creates a mystical atmosphere.

Basilica Cistern.

Of all the columns, two stand out: their lower parts are decorated with inverted heads of Medusa.

Basilica Cistern.

It remains to look at Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, which is called the small Hagia Sophia.
This is one of the oldest churches in Istanbul, built from 1527 to 565. It was erected next to the house of Emperor Justinian, where he spent his young years. The church, founded several years earlier than the Hagia Sophia, served as its prototype.
After the fall of Constantinople, the church continued to operate, but in 1506 the church was partially destroyed and converted into a mosque. A minaret was added in 1762.

Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus.

In Sultanahmet, there are many restaurants with Turkish cuisine, since the prices in them do not fluctuate much, you can choose any one to your taste.
Several restaurants have an outdoor panoramic rooftop terrace with breathtaking views.

View from the Seven Hills restaurant.

Continuation: Sultanahmet: walks through the streets.

1. History of Istanbul.

3. Eminonu: Pier, Spice Bazaar, Balyk-Ekmek.
4. Beyoglu: Galata Tower, Taksim, Istiklal Avenue.
5. Mosque of Sultan Suleiman.
6. Zeyrek.
7. Kumkapi.
8. Asia: Yuskyudar.
9. Bosphorus.
10. Dervishes.
11. Hamam.

Roman Emperor Justinian wanted to build in Constantinople (modern Istanbul) a temple that was supposed to be the most beautiful in the world. Church of Hagia Sophia, erected in 532-537, is a majestic structure filled with light.

Temple given to Theodora

Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire Justinian the First At the request of his wife Theodora, he ordered the construction of a new church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The Empress wanted the temple to be erected on the same spot where the previous one, built by Emperor Constantine the Great, but perished in a fire, stood. The new temple was erected in less than six years. On December 26, 537, Emperor Justinian solemnly opened the basilica.

He was very proud of the beauty of this grand structure. Justinian was convinced that this temple was even more unusual than Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. He was so happy that he exclaimed, “Solomon, I have surpassed you!”

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of those rare monuments, as ancient as it is magnificent, which until today has hardly been touched by time.

domed basilica

The emperor instructed two Greek architects - Anthemius from Thrall and Isidore from Miletus - to draw plans for the structure. The architects decided to give the temple the appearance of a rectangular building in terms of the basilica, and to raise a giant dome in the center. This unprecedented vault symbolized Heaven. He lay on four huge pillars with the help of sails - triangular spherical arches. 40 windows cut into the base of the dome created an extraordinary effect - the cup of the dome seemed to be easily floating above the temple. 10 thousand workers and 100 master masons took part in the construction of the temple. Excellent materials, one better than the other, arrived from all sides of the empire: white, green, pink and yellow marble, malachite and porphyry columns, decorations from the temples of Egypt, Greece, including from the ruined temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The central door of the temple, intended for the emperor, was covered with gold.

New dome

Twenty years after the construction of the temple Constantinople became a victim of an earthquake. The legendary dome collapsed. The young son of Isidore from Miletus, one of the best architects who supervised the reconstruction, increased the height of the dome by another 5 m. With the help of powerful buttresses, he strengthened the walls of the structure.

Magnificent mosaics

From the very beginning of construction, the temple was decorated with delightful mosaics, assembled from the smallest pieces of multi-colored marble. The dome was decorated with a mosaic depicting the face of Christ.

The striking brick dome, 55m high and 32m in diameter, lets in light through small windows.

The temple owes its magnificence in part to the wealth of mosaics, the oldest of which are about a thousand years old!

Mosque and museum

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman army of Sultan Mehmet II and renamed Istanbul. The Turks kept the Hagia Sophia, but turned it into a Muslim mosque. Four minarets were added to the temple. A crescent moon was raised above the dome. Posters with inscriptions in Arabic were hung on the side walls and in the corners. The mosaics were covered with plaster because the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, forbids the depiction of living beings. Fortunately, the mosaics were not destroyed. In 1934, the mosque ceased to function, and the Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum. Beautiful mosaics have been restored, and they saw the light again.

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Hagia Sophia, St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv — Photo — 2018

Saint Sophie Cathedral or Saint Sophia Cathedral- a Christian Orthodox church built in the 11th century in the central region of ancient Kyiv by order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise. In the period of the 17th-18th centuries, it was partially rebuilt and reconstructed in the Ukrainian baroque style. On the walls of the cathedral, some ancient frescoes and mosaics have been preserved, including the famous mosaic of Our Lady of Oranta.

St. Sophia Cathedral was the first architectural monument inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List from Ukraine.

According to information from various chronicles (all of them are dated much later than construction), the date of construction of the cathedral is 1017 or 1037.

The Tale of Bygone Years contains a record of the foundation of St. Sophia Cathedral in 1037, as well as several other significant buildings: the Golden Gate, the Church of St. Irene and the Monastery of St. George.

Initially, Hagia Sophia had the form of a five-nave cross-domed church with 13 domes. On three sides it was fenced with a two-tier gallery, and on the outside - a single-tier one. The central nave and transept were much wider than the side aisles, creating a regular cross in the interior of the cathedral. Cylindrical vaults, covering its main and transverse naves, gradually rose to the central part of the building. The main dome was surrounded by four smaller domes, and the remaining eight domes, which were even smaller in size, were located at the corners of the temple. In addition to windows, the walls are also decorated with decorative niches and spatulas.

The cathedral was built according to Byzantine technology from alternating rows of stone and plinths; from the outside, the masonry was treated with zemyanka mortar.

In order to be able to see the original appearance of the walls of the temple, the restorers decided to leave fragments of ancient masonry on the facades. The cathedral without galleries has a length of 29.6 m and a width of 29.4; and with galleries: 41.8 and 54.7. The height of the temple reaches 28.7 m.

The cathedral was built by builders from Constantinople, with the participation of Kyiv masters. Despite this, it is impossible to find exact analogues of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Byzantium of those times.

There is a version that the Byzantine masters were given the task of creating the main temple of Rus', which they successfully brought to life.

Some of the frescoes and mosaics made in the 11th century have been preserved in the interior of the cathedral. There are 177 shades in the mosaic palette. The mosaics bear similarities to the Byzantine art of the first half of the 11th century, in an ascetic style.

- The leader of the "Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia" group, which aims to return to the believers the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul), which was turned into a museum in the 20th century. He told the Greek weekly Omonia about the steps taken to solve this problem.

The Orthodox Church of Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God was built in Constantinople in the VI century, under the Byzantine emperor Justinian. For many centuries, Hagia Sophia was the main temple of the Byzantine Empire. In 1453, Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, immediately after the capture of Constantinople, ordered the temple to be rebuilt into a mosque.

Hagia Sophia was the main mosque of the capital of the Ottoman Empire for almost five centuries. In 1935, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish state, ordered that Hagia Sophia be made into a museum.

– Mr. Spirou, disputes about the status of a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture have been going on for more than a decade. What prompted you to start an action to "liberate" Hagia Sophia?

- Once on CNN I saw a report that talked about the main temple of the Kremlin and all of Moscow: 70 years later, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Kremlin became again a place of service to God. And then I thought, why is the Hagia Sophia still a museum? From that moment I decided to work for Hagia Sophia to be returned to its original status. To resolve this issue once and for all, I turned to the best American lawyers and lawyers. However, it was not easy to restore the rights violated in 1453.

– The Hagia Sophia cannot be a mosque according to the law?

- Certainly. There is no doubt about this. Hagia Sophia was not built as a mosque, it was not a mosque, it was forcibly turned into a mosque after the Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453.

- And you want to restore justice 554 years later? ..

- If Turkey (or any other country) finds convincing evidence of its innocence, let it be presented to the court. Can you imagine that, for example, through the US Supreme Court, D. Bush or B. Clinton passed a law on the transformation of the cathedral into a bowling alley? Or a law requiring that the birthplace of Jesus Christ is not Nazareth, but Texas? And only on the grounds that they have power in their hands?

And a law that would establish that no government has the right to determine the way the use of holy places revered by believers will not have to be passed, because there is no government in the world whose competence would include determining the holiness of certain places.

– The main thing is that the US Congressional Human Rights Caucus organized hearings on this issue, which have a positive response. As influential Congressman Tom Landos said, "the situation around Hagia Sophia is one of the most important issues that has ever been considered by the US Congressional Human Rights Committee." Hearings are taking place in Congress this year, and I expect a resolution to be passed in support of our demands. Moreover, the Turkish authorities, who have turned the holy church into something unknown and thereby violated the rights of believers, will sooner or later be condemned by public opinion.

- And yet, what are your main arguments?

– Sophia of Constantinople is the mother of all Orthodox churches, the oldest Christian church. Today it is defiled. Our struggle is not a struggle for the redistribution of borders and not for the rights to oil fields. And therefore we want, no, we demand that we be supported by all of humanity, supported by the political leaders of different countries, spiritual leaders, whoever they are: the pope, the Patriarch of Moscow or the Patriarch of Jerusalem. No one should sleep in peace while the holy place, turned into a farce, is being defiled. The Church of Hagia Sophia belongs to the local authorities, however, the Patriarch of Constantinople is also under their influence.

– In your opinion, who will still make the decision to return the temple to its former status and how will it be implemented?

- First of all, it should be said that this will be the right decision. You know, when Nelson Mandela pressed South African President Frederick de Klerk for the right to vote for blacks, his racial brothers said: “But who can make these racists who have been oppressing us for 400 years change their minds?” Seemingly impossible can become possible. There is no government that can be stronger than Hagia Sophia!

- Do you have like-minded people? Who supports you?

– I believe that the heads of all Churches and religions should take part in the return of the Orthodox church of Hagia Sophia. So, for example, the Catholic Church in America is very influential, and I propose to address its hierarchs too. The problem needs to be resolved either politically, by signing special agreements, or legally, by adopting relevant laws.

I want to note that we do not conduct an anti-Turkish policy and, of course, we have nothing against Muslims and adherents of other religions. In addition, I am sure that many Muslims in Turkey will support us. After all, Islam forbids closing mosques or turning them into secular places, it is also forbidden to kill patriarchs.

– How realistic is it that Turkey will decide to change the status of Hagia Sophia?

“Once the president of America advised the president of China to give the Chinese people freedom of religion. Soon this happened. I think that this time, too, it will not be difficult for the US president to suggest to the leadership of Turkey that it is necessary to return Hagia Sophia to the faithful. This will not be an attempt to put pressure on Turkey at all. What is the "pressure" on Turkey? Is it to encourage her to act according to the logic of things?

– Your organization has branches in the USA and Greece. Do you plan to expand your activities to other countries, including Russia?

- For us, the support of the Russians is extremely important, and I really hope for the support of Russia - a country whose international authority is growing. By the way, I am going to visit Moscow, so there will be an opportunity to discuss our joint actions.

Sophia spoke to Prokopis,
member of the Hellenic Union of Journalists
Weekly "Omonia"

Chris (Christ) Spirou is an American politician of Greek origin. Immigrated from Greece to the US in the 1950s at the age of 13. Studied in America. Run for governor of New Hampshire. Repeatedly led the US Democratic Party in New Hampshire. He took an active part in the election campaigns of all candidates for the presidency of the United States from the Democratic Party - from Jimmy Carter to Al Gore. Friend and colleague of current US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The Council for the Liberation of Hagia Sophia, headed by him, is an organization that emphasizes its non-governmental status and distances itself from any ties with Greece.

Hagia Sophia is one of the monumental monuments of history that managed to survive until the 21st century and at the same time not lose its former grandeur and energy, which is difficult to describe. Once the largest temple in Byzantium, later transformed into a mosque, today stands before us as the most original museum in Istanbul. This is one of the few complexes in the world where two religions are intertwined at once - Islam and Christianity.

Often the cathedral is called the eighth wonder of the world, and, of course, today it is one of them. The monument has a great historical value, so it was included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list. How did it happen that in one complex Christian mosaics coexist with Arabic script? The incredible story of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will tell us about this.

Short story

It was not immediately possible to build the grandiose temple of Hagia Sophia and immortalize it in time. The first two churches erected on the site of the modern shrine stood for only a few decades, and both buildings were destroyed by large fires. The third cathedral began to be rebuilt in the 6th century during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. More than 10 thousand people were involved in the construction of the structure, which made it possible to build a temple of such incredible proportions in just five years. Hagia Sophia in Constantinople for a whole millennium remained the main Christian church in the Byzantine Empire.

In 1453, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror attacked the capital of Byzantium and subjugated it, but did not destroy the great cathedral. The Ottoman ruler was so impressed by the beauty and scale of the basilica that he decided to convert it into a mosque. So, minarets were added to the former church, it received a new name of Aya Sofya and for 500 years served as the main city mosque for the Ottomans. It is noteworthy that subsequently the Ottoman architects took as an example the Hagia Sophia in the construction of such eminent Islamic temples as Suleymaniye and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. For a detailed description of the latter, see.

After the split of the Ottoman Empire and the coming to power of Ataturk, work began on the restoration of Christian mosaics and frescoes in Hagia Sofya, and in 1934 it was given the status of a museum and a monument of Byzantine architecture, which becomes a symbol of the coexistence of two great religions. Over the past two decades, many independent organizations in Turkey dealing with issues of historical heritage have repeatedly filed a lawsuit to return the status of a mosque to the museum. Today, it is forbidden to hold Muslim services within the walls of the complex, and many believers see this decision as an infringement of religious freedom. Nevertheless, the Turkish court remains relentless in its verdicts and continues to reject such claims.

Architecture and interior decoration

Hagia Sophia in Turkey is a rectangular basilica of classical form with three naves, to the western part of which are adjoined by two vestibules. The length of the temple is 100 meters, the width is 69.5 meters, the height of the dome is 55.6 meters, and its diameter is 31 meters. The main material in the construction of the building was marble, but light bricks made of clay and sand were also used. In front of the façade of Hagia Sophia, there is a courtyard, in the middle of which there is a fountain. And nine doors lead to the museum itself: in the old days, only the emperor himself could use the central one.

But no matter how majestic the church looks from the outside, the true masterpieces of architecture are contained in its interior decoration. The hall of the basilica consists of two galleries (upper and lower), made of marble, specially brought to Istanbul from Rome. The lower tier is decorated with 104 columns, and the upper tier - 64. It is almost impossible to find a section in the cathedral that has not been decorated. The interior features numerous frescoes, mosaics, silver and gold coatings, terracotta and ivory elements. There is a legend saying that Justinian originally planned to decorate the temple entirely of gold, but the soothsayers dissuaded him, predicting the times of beggars and greedy emperors who would not leave a trace of such a luxurious building.

Byzantine mosaics and frescoes are of particular value in the cathedral. They have survived quite well, largely due to the fact that the Ottomans who came to Constantinople simply plastered Christian images, thereby preventing their destruction. With the advent of the Turkish conquerors in the capital, the interior of the temple was supplemented by a mihrab (a Muslim likeness of an altar), a sultan's bed and a marble minbar (a pulpit in a mosque). Also, traditional Christian candles left the interior, which were replaced by chandeliers from lamps.

In the original performance, Aya Sofya in Istanbul was illuminated by 214 windows, but over time, due to additional buildings in the shrine, only 181 of them remained. In total, there are 361 doors in the cathedral, one hundred of which are covered with various symbols. Rumor has it that every time they are counted, there are new, previously unseen doors. Under the ground part of the structure, underground passages were found, flooded with groundwater. During one of the studies of such tunnels, scientists found a secret passage leading from the cathedral to another. Jewelry and human remains were also found here.

The decoration of the museum is so rich that it is almost impossible to describe it briefly, and not a single photo of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul can convey the grace, atmosphere and energy that are inherent in this place. Therefore, be sure to visit this unique historical monument and see for yourself its grandeur.

How to get there

Hagia Sophia is located on Saltanahmed Square, called Fatih. The distance from Ataturk Airport to the attraction is 20 km. If you plan to visit the temple immediately upon arrival in the city, then you can get to the place by taxi or by public transport, represented by the subway and tram.

You can get to the metro directly from the airport building, following the appropriate signs. You need to take the M1 line and get to Zeytinburnu station. The fare will be 2.6 tl. Upon exiting the subway, you will have to walk a little more than a kilometer to the east along Seyit Nizam Street, where the stop of the tram line T 1 Kabataş - Bağcılar is located (price per trip 1.95 tl). You need to get off at the Sultanahmet stop, and literally after 300 meters you will find yourself at the cathedral.

If you are going to the temple not from the airport, but from some other point in the city, then in this case you also need to get on the T 1 tram line and disembark at the Sultanahmet stop.

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Practical Information

The exact address: Sultanahmet Meydanı, Fatih, İstanbul, Türkiye.

Opening hours: in the period from April 15 to October 30, the doors of the cathedral are open to the public from 09:00 to 19:00. The last ticket can be purchased no later than 18:00. From October 30 to April 15, the attraction is open from 09:00 to 17:00. Ticket offices are available until 16:00.

As of September 2018, the entrance fee to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is 40 tl. However, from October 1, 2018, the Turkish authorities are raising the cost of entrance tickets to more than 50 museums in the country, including Hagia Sophia. So, with the onset of the specified date, the price for entering the temple will be 60 tl. This increase is due to the difficult economic situation in Turkey, as well as a sharp depreciation of the Turkish lira against the dollar and the euro.