Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya Meydanı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye
Iconic, storied mosque set within a vast, domed former Byzantine church with stained-glass windows.
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Muhammad Bilal
The place I have been looking forward to visit since I planned for my Istanbul trip and I finally did! From its Adhaan (call for prayers) to the building to its interior and environment, it’s been an incredible experience. Although there is a paid tour, a local person recommended that I should simply show up minutes before the prayer time and they will open the mosque, which is what I did. You can easily walk in to the mosque (with modest clothing) passing through the security check. Men and women have separate prayers section. Once you pass the security, there is place for wudu on the right side. The inside is quiet and peaceful.
Carl Lauto
I wish I could rate the site higher than 5 stars. This is despite the fact that tourists are not allowed on the ground floor of the Mosque. It is the most gorgeous building I've seen in my entire life.
Idris Kantharia
Absolutely amazing building. Breathtaking size. Feel truly honoured to make the visit and also partake in the daily prayer. Hard to imagine how the construction would have taken place. Sheer size fills with awe. Beautiful architecture, possibly one of the few buildings around the world which is 1500 years old. Free to enter if you go for the prayers, otherwise there is an entrance fee.
Chelsea Chang
Stunning and well-worth the visit. We arrived around 9:30/10am on a Monday to avoid the crowds. There was a line and there was a person trying to sell skip the line tickets for €50 and I’m glad we didn’t purchase it since the line moved fast and only look us maybe 10-15 mins for the regular entrance (€25). Even later in the day ~3pm when we walked past the line seemed around the same. Make sure to bring some headphones since they have audio guides you can access on your phone.
Saneika Stewart
Get your tickets early or wait in line like we did for about 40 mins. Doing a guided tour does bypass the line. The posters by the lines that say “skip the line” are twice the amount. We paid $25 at the time. We weren’t hurrying, so we waited. This is a must visit. Unless you’re Muslim, you won’t be able to go for prayer downstairs in the mosque. 🕌 A must visit when visiting Turkey. But do pay to skip the line.
