Hagia Sophia

The basilica of Hagia Sophia, in Istanbul

The basilica of Hagia Sophia is the emblematic monument of Istanbul, that sums up by itself all the complexity and the tumults of the city. The Istanbul audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this building raised in the sixth century by the emperor Justinian, in turn church, mosque, museum, and again mosque since 2020, witness of the passage from Constantinople to Istanbul.

History

The basilica of Hagia Sophia sums up by itself the complexity of the city and the tumults of its past. Today again a mosque, it was long a church, then a mosque from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, then a museum, before being again converted into a mosque in 2020. To understand, it is necessary to go back to the conquests and to Constantinople. In the sixth century, the Roman emperor Justinian had the current building constructed on the bases of a church raised three centuries earlier by the emperor Constantine, who had given a second capital to the Roman Empire on the site of the ancient Byzantium. Rome being away from the rich provinces of the East, constantly threatened by the Goths in the north and the Persians in the east, Constantine created Constantinople to better protect this tip of the empire, on the banks of the Bosphorus, whose strategic position and natural protection by the sea made it a city easy to defend. A masterpiece of Byzantine architecture crowned with its immense dome, Hagia Sophia is visited with respect, in the calm conducive to contemplation.

What to see

Here you discover, with respect, the emblematic monument of Istanbul, raised in the sixth century by Justinian on the bases of a church of Constantine; in turn church, mosque, museum and again mosque since 2020, this Byzantine masterpiece crowned with an immense dome sums up all the history of the city. Hagia Sophia is a major place of prayer, to be visited with respect. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The basilica of Hagia Sophia stands in the heart of the Sultanahmet district, facing the Blue Mosque, reachable on foot. It is a place of worship in activity, whose access is made in the respect of the services and of contemplation; the hours vary according to the prayers. It is best to enquire before coming and to adopt correct attire, head covered for women.

What is the history of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul?

Raised in the sixth century by the emperor Justinian on the bases of a church of Constantine, in Constantinople, it was a church, then a mosque from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, then a museum, before becoming a mosque again in 2020; masterpiece of Byzantine architecture crowned with an immense dome, it sums up all the complexity of the history of Istanbul.

Where is the basilica of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul?

In the heart of the Sultanahmet district, facing the Blue Mosque, in Istanbul, in Turkey.