Hagia Sophia

Completed in 537 under the Byzantine emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was for centuries the largest church in the Christian world. It became a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of 1453, a museum in 1934 and a mosque once more in 2020. Its vast central dome, Byzantine mosaics and giant calligraphy roundels sit side by side, a record of the city’s layered history.

Our guides explain how the building was raised and what each era added, then walk you across Sultanahmet Square to the Blue Mosque and the underground Basilica Cistern.

As a working mosque, Hagia Sophia pauses visits around prayer times and asks everyone to dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered, and a headscarf for women. Arrive at opening time to avoid the longest queues.