HAGIA SOPHIA IS READY FOR VISITORS ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 31st, 2018.

Hagia Sophia, with its breathtaking domes that look like hanging in the air, carved marble pillars and unparalleled mosaics, is one of the wonders of world’s architecture history. As a result of growing demand from national and international visitors, it is opening its doors on Monday, December 31st, at which time it is normally closed.

HAS BEEN STANDING FOR 1481 YEARS

Hagia Sophia, which served as a museum in 1935, is the biggest Byzantine church constructed in Istanbul. The church, constructed three times in the same location and was opened on 27 December 537, has been standing erect for 1481 years.

When Istanbul was conquered by Fatih Sultan Mehmet ( Mehmet the Conqueor ) in 1453, the church was redesigned to serve as a mosque by having been added Ottoman architectural elements and it continued to be a sacred place and a place of worship.

Hagia Sophia’s original ceiling mosaics with herbal and geometric motifs done in the 6th century and mosaics with depiction, which were added after the end of depiction ban (iconoclasm) in the 8th century is a must-see. Also, the minbar, mihrab, sermon chairs, wooden railings and library which were added during the Ottoman Empire can be seen as well as the sultan tombs outside the building.

Opening hour: 9 a.m. Ticket office closing hour: 4 p.m. Visiting closing hour: 5 p.m.