Tag: hagia-sophia

  • 1st Day in Istanbul

    After a delicious Turkish breakfast, we recommend visiting Hagia Sophia early in the morning. In fact, we suggest arriving at the ticket office just before 8:30 AM. This is an important tip if you want to avoid waiting in a long line. Once you leave Hagia Sophia, you’ll see the tram tracks. Cross the road…

  • How to Visit Hagia Sophia: What to See & What Not to Miss

    First, let’s make one thing clear. The first floor of Hagia Sophia, which is the main prayer area, is closed to visitors. Only Turkish citizens can enter this area. The upper floor, or gallery level, is open to visitors. You can also see the lower floor from the upper level. In our opinion, the view…

  • historyistanbul: Sultanahmet Cami (Sultanahmet Mosque / Blue Mosque)

    Imagine being 19 years old and deciding to build one of the most magnificent mosques in the world. Sounds like a bold move, right? Well, that’s exactly what Sultan Ahmed I did. In 1609, he set out to create a mosque that would rival.No, outshine: the legendary Hagia Sophia, which stood just across the way.…