Hagia Sophia, Turkey Travel Journals & Blogs

Traveler Thirty Before Thirty
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- Jul 12, 2023, 9:00pm
- 🌙 27 °C
- Altitude: 164 ft
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.008598, 28.98003641°0’31” N 28°58’48” E
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Hagia Sofia
July 12, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 27 °C
The Hagia Sophia (meaning the Holy Wisdom) was originally built as a cathedral under the Byzantines. When the Ottoman Empire took rule over Istanbul, it was converted to a mosque. Although briefly given museum status, it is once again a functioning mosque today. It’s rare in the sense that it mixes traditional Christian imagery with Islamic imagery. Verses from the Quran and names of Islamic caliphs sit beside depictions of Christ and the Virgin Mary. In Islam, images of people are forbidden and so the Christian depictions have been artfully covered to shield them from worshippers while allowing tourists to see them from an alternate angle.

Behind those praying, children play and cats roam freely- a reminder that mosques are more than just places of worship, they’re hearts of the community too.

I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to join Muslim prayers before but watching them take place under the roof of so much history and in the footsteps of so many worshippers, both Christian and Muslim, was something really special.Read more
Traveler Impressed they let you in never mind take photos - good job
7/14/23Reply
Traveler Rocking that headscarf Rhiannon!
7/14/23Reply
Traveler I’m still envious!!! 😘
7/14/23Reply
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Traveler Interrail Trail 2023
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- Oct 23, 2023, 9:30am
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 174 ft
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.008625, 28.98018141°0’31” N 28°58’49” E
Day 50
Ayasofya Mosque
October 23, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Originally built in the 4th century as a Byzantine Catherdral, it was later converted into a Mosque during the Ottoman Empire. It was converted without destroying the interior Christian symbols ⛪️🕌

You can see Islam and Christianity together; shared heritage of humanity 🤲❤️Read more
Traveler I loved it here - did you spot the twins of Cleopatra’s Needle nearby? Apparently they were part of the same temple area in Alexandria, but the full set got split up and there are a couple in Turkey.
10/26/23Reply
Traveler Yes, they are located in the hippodrome! I saw them, and it also shows the original street level. A lot of these cities are like cakes, loads of layers, and too much to get through in one sitting 🤭
10/26/23Reply
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World Vagabonding Chapter 1
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- Mar 7, 2024, 9:00am
- ⛅ 6 °C
- Altitude: 50 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.008597, 28.98003541°0’31” N 28°58’48” E
Day 93
Day 93: Hagia Sophia
March 7 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
Our first proper place to visit in Istanbul was the famous Hagia Sophia. In the past, it was free to visit. Unfortunately, effective from Jan 2024, a Euro25 entrance fee per person has been implemented. It’s a very steep price, but since we have been curious of the giant mosque. It was an Orthodox church turned into a working mosque nowadays. We could find a few mosaics as the remains of the Orthodox church history.Read more
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Traveler Kurztrip Istanbul
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- Nov 27, 2023, 10:00am
- ☁️ 3 °C
- Altitude: 50 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.008509, 28.9800141°0’31” N 28°58’48” E
Day 3
Istanbul Sightseeing - Part 2
November 27, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
Heute Morgen hieß es dann etwas früher aufstehen, da unser 3. Spiel am heutigen Tag etwas weiter außerhalb ist & wir noch ein paar Sachen in der Stadt sehen wollen.
Also geht es mit der Metro über das goldene Horn zu unserem ersten Stopp, dem großen Basar.
Ein typisch türkischer Markt auf dem man alles mögliche kaufen kann. Ich hatte tatsächlich gedacht, dass dort noch mehr türkische Dinge zu finden sind, aber hauptsächlich gibt es hier Schmuck & Klamotten von allen möglichen Marken.
Wir schlendern einfach nur ein wenig über den Markt, essen noch in einem Börek-Cafe und machen uns dann auf den Weg zu der Hagia Sophia, die wahrscheinlich bekannteste Moschee hier. Wegen ihrer immensen, nahezu schwerelos über dem freien Hauptraum schwebenden Kuppel galt die Hagia Sophia in der Spätantike und dem Mittelalter als achtes Weltwunder.
Die Schlange war aber so extrem lang, dass wir uns entschieden nicht in die Moschee zu gehen und schauten uns zumindest noch die nebenanliegende Blaue Moschee (Sultan-Ahmed-Moschee) an.
Auf dem Rückweg ging es nochmal zur Galata-Brücke, an der noch ein ägyptischer Markt ist, wo man alles mögliche an Gewürzen etc. kaufen kann. Das ist schon mehr nach meinem Geschmack.Read more
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Traveler Istanbul
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- Nov 16, 2023
- Altitude: 50 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.008509, 28.9800141°0’31” N 28°58’48” E
Day 2
Hagia Sophia
November 16, 2023 in Turkey
An Svens Geburtstag mussten wir trotz 2 Stunden Zeitverschiebung morgens zu einer tollen Tour. Gestartet sind wir nach einem Frühstück mit der tollen Hagia Sophia. Die Moschee hat uns unglaublich beeindruckt.Read more
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Traveler Romania and Istanbul
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- Oct 13, 2023, 2:57pm
- ☀️ 22 °C
- Altitude: 50 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.008514, 28.9800141°0’31” N 28°58’48” E
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Day 15
Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)
October 13, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Hagia Sophia's complex history began in the year 537 when Byzantine emperor Justinian built the huge church overlooking the Golden Horn harbour

With its huge dome, it was believed to be the world's largest church and building

It remained in Byzantine hands for centuries apart from a brief moment in 1204 when Crusaders raided the city

In 1453, in a devastating blow to the Byzantines, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II captured Istanbul (formerly known as Constantinople) and the victorious conqueror performed Friday prayers inside Hagia Sophia

The Ottomans soon converted the building into a mosque, adding four minarets to the exterior and covering ornate Christian icons and gold mosaics with panels of Arabic religious calligraphy

After centuries at the heart of the Muslim Ottoman empire, it was turned into a museum in 1934 in a drive to make Turkey more secular

2020 turned back into a Mosque but the Christian emblems, including mosaics of the Virgin Mary which adorn its soaring golden dome, are not removed.
Christianity and Islam mingle here.

Big line up control through the church as well as outsideRead more
Traveler Magnificent - shame about the crowds
10/15/23Reply
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skip's retirement travel Turkey
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- Aug 24, 2019, 11:10am
- ⛅ 27 °C
- Altitude: 49 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.00866, 28.9798441°0’31” N 28°58’47” E
Day 8
Hagia Sophia
August 24, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Another one of those places where neither books nor documentaries do justice to what this place actually is. Even with restoration work ongoing, this is a spectacular building. It's especially hard to get my mind around the fact that this huge building and dome were built in the 6th century.
The first 2 pics look at the central nave and dome. The second tries to give a sense of scale. The 3rd looks up the into the dome. 4th is another look at part of the building. 5th is a hallway with the original flagstone floor and stone stairs. Last is the site of coronation of eastern Roman emperors.Read more
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skip's retirement travel Turkey
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- Aug 24, 2019, 11:10am
- ⛅ 27 °C
- Altitude: 50 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.00862, 28.9798941°0’31” N 28°58’48” E
Day 8
Hagia Sophia mosaics
August 24, 2019 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Originally, Hagia Sophia was completely covered inside with art. However, given the Islamic proscription of human faces in art, it was all covered over when this was converted to a mosque. Now that it is a museum and not an active be mosque, a few it the original mosaics have been uncovered.Read more
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Istanbul
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- Oct 2, 2023, 9:30am
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 38 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.009106, 28.98011441°0’33” N 28°58’48” E
Day 3
Hagia Sophia
October 2, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Einst mächtigste Kirche des frühen Christentums, heute die wohl bekannteste Sehenswürdigkeit Istanbuls. Ursprünglich erbaut im 4 Jh. im Auftrag von Kaiser Justinian. Hier wurden die byzantinischen Kaiser gekrönt bevor die Osmanen Konstantinopel eroberten und die Hagia Sophia 1453 in Moschee umwandelten. Zwar ist die "alte Lady" äußerlich mächtig in die Jahre gekommen aber sie ist nicht minder beeindruckend ob ihrer Größe und Geschichte.Read more
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Traveler Süd-Ost Asien
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- Jun 27, 2023
- ☀️ 30 °C
- Altitude: 50 m
- Turkey Istanbul Fatih Sultanahmet Hagia Sophia 41.008509, 28.9800141°0’31” N 28°58’48” E
Day 73
2nd Stop: ISTANBUL 🛫🔥
June 27, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Vo Bangkok isches in allerfrüeh uf Istanbul gange 😄 mer hend eus glaub no nie so fest uf 10 Stund imene Flugi gfreut wie det - de Plan, all eusi Fründe fürs Albanifest go überrasche, het eus uh mega atribe! Eusi Herzli sind fasch platzt vor Vorfreud 🥰

S'Steibi Kollektiv, de Verein wo Tally & de Jonas zude Mitgründer ghöred, isch e mega Herzensaglegeheit. Letscht Jahr simmer all zemme s'ersch Mal as Albanifest, Stadtfest vo Winti, und das Jahr hend eusi beste Fründi ohni eus plant & organisiert; dennoch isch eus während de Zit in Asie klar worde, dasmer gern debi wäred. Aso hemmer allne Gegeargument zum Trotz die Flüg buecht - wüki glaube hemmers aber iwie nie chönne.

Vor allem nöd, womer plötzlich in Istanbul gsi sind. Imene super schöne Hotel ide Altstadt, Ussicht uf de Bosporus. Mir hend Mezze gesse, super feine Wii trunke - und sogar Shisha graucht 😄 und eus immer wieder gseit: "wenn die Dihei wüsstet!"Read more
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You might also know this place by the following names:

Hagia Sophia, Aya Sophia, Santa Sofiya dIstambul, آيا صوفيا, ايا صوفيا, Айя София, Aya Sofya, Айя Суфия, Сафійскі сабор, Света София, হাজিয়া সোফিয়া, Mirdi Santez-Sofia, Aja Sofija, Santa Sofia, Сийлахь Софин Килс, ئایاسۆفیا, Hagia Sofia, ހާޖިޔާ ސޯފިޔާ, Αγία Σοφία, Santa Sofía, ایاصوفیه, Sainte Sophie, Igrexa de Santa Sofía, איה סופיה, हागिया सोफिया, Hagia Szophia, Սուրբ Սոֆիայի տաճար, Ægisif, Basilica di Santa Sofia, アヤソフィア, აია-სოფიას ტაძარი, 아야 소피아, Ayasofya, Айя-Софья, Aedes Sanctae Sophiae, Sofijos soboras, Svētā Sofija, Црква Света Софија, ഹഗിയ സോഫിയ, Софийн цогчин дуган, ဟာဂီယာ ဆိုဖီယာ, ह्यागिया सोफिया, ਆਈਆ ਸੋਫ਼ੀਆ, آیا صوفیا, Aya Sophiya, Catedrala Sfânta Sofia din Constantinopol, Собор Святой Софии, Hagija Sofija, Ajasofja, Аја Софија, ஹேகியா சோபியா, ฮายาโซฟีอา, ئاياسوڧيا, Софійський собор, ایاصوفیہ, Sofiya ibodatxonasi, האגיא סאפיא, 聖蘇菲亞大教堂, 圣索菲亚大教堂

Hagia Sophia

Travelers at this place

Hagia Sofia

Ayasofya Mosque

Day 93: Hagia Sophia

Istanbul Sightseeing - Part 2

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom)

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia mosaics

Hagia Sophia

2nd Stop: ISTANBUL 🛫🔥

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