Tell Me About Turkey

There are a lot of popular work of arts built by many popular arcitects. There are place of worships, bridges, structures causes us to ask how a human could do it. There are historical structures bring us to the hundreds years past. The most popular one that effects us incredibly much and causes us to have many different feelings in Turkey was built between 532 and 537 years during Byzantine period: Hagia Sophia.

The arcitects of the church that was built in historical peninsula in Istanbul during the Byzantine emperor Justinian, are Isidoros of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. It is told that approximately 10.000 people worked and a huge treasure of state spent to be able to build the church.

It is okey till here but how can stand a building for hundreds years without collapsing? It is because of the abutments that was added by the most popular Turkish architect Mimar Sinan.

The church’s mosaics that had human figures was closed with a thin plaster after Turks was leaded by Sultan Mehmed II conquered Istanbul in 1453 and the church returned to a mosque. The figures are still without any problem and can be seen even today just because of this simple and indulgent sollution. (Islam does not accept any alive’s picture or figures in its mosques)

Hagia Sophia was built as an Ortodox church in 537 and used like that untill Latins conquered Istanbul in 1204. During the Latins sovereignty between 1204 and 1261, the church was used as a Catholic cathedral. In 1261 Byzantine conquered it one more and after that year, it was used as an Ortodox church one more untill Ottoman Empire collapsed Byzantine in 1453. Turks used Hagia Sophia as a mosque between 1453 and 1935. After the Turkish Republic founded, it continued to be used as a mosque till 1935 and in that year it is decided to return it from mosque to a museum.

Hagia Sophia was built in the style of vaulted basilica and it is used as a museum today.

Turks added minarets, library, madrasah, alms house and fountain to the structure. The building was repaired hundreds times and in different shapes since the date of it built.

How can we get there? On  which days it is open? On which days on which hours it is open? What is the entrance fee?

From Taksim: First you need to take the finikular from the metro station on Taksim Square to go to Kabatas. When you get Kabatas, you need to get the tram to Sultanahmet.

From Beşiktaş: You need to get the bus from Beşiktaş to Kabatas and you need to get the tram to Sultanahmet.

From Eminonu: It would be fun to walk through the tram way. In case you do not want to walk, you can get the tram and get off in the Sultanahmet Station.

From Kadıköy: Get the Kadıköy – Eminönü boat, to pass the bosphorus, from Eminönü you can get the tram to Sultanahmet.

From Üsküdar: Get the Üsküdar – Kabataş boat to pass the Bosphorus, and get the tram to Sultanahmet.

Days and Opening Hours:

Opens from 09.00 to 17.00 except Monday

Entrance Fee: 20 TL (10 Euro)