Hagia Sophia Magic✨

Our family trip to Istanbul was short, so I tried to see as much as possible as quickly as I could ☺️

One of the city’s most iconic landmarks was the Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya).
Though I didn’t make it inside (time was limited and the line of visitors was endless), even from the outside, especially at sunrise, the cathedral looked truly majestic and powerful 🌅

A bit of history:
🕰️ The cathedral was built in 537 AD by order of Emperor Justinian and remained the largest Christian church in the world for nearly a thousand years.
🕌 In 1453, after the fall of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.
🏛️ In 1935 it became a museum, and in 2020 it was once again turned back into a mosque.
🧡 Its architecture is breathtaking: the massive dome, once considered a miracle of engineering, mosaics with images of saints and a sense of magnificence that can be felt even outside its walls.

🌍 Why it is so popular:
Hagia Sophia is a symbol of the meeting of East and West, Christianity and Islam, history and modernity. It’s not just a building, but the very heart of Istanbul, where different eras and cultures come together.

And even if your time in Istanbul is short, Hagia Sophia is a place you simply cannot miss. Here you can feel the breath of history and realize that some structures are more than architecture.
It’s the symbol of an era and the soul of a city! 🌍💫

If you decide to explore it inside, here is some useful info:
💰 €25 entrance fee
⏳ In 2025, its working hours are from 09:00am to 07:30pm every day of the week all year round
♾️ The line usually lasts for 30-90 mins, but I do advise you to visit it either early in the morning or late in the evening, because in the afternoon it is PACKED, believe me
⏱️ You can expect to spend 30-60 mins for exploring the building - many people say it’s worth it. It’ll stay on my list for the next time!

Bonus info for the Magnificent Centrury die-hards (like me lol) - in Hagia Sophia, there’s a tomb of Sultan Selim II (the son of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent). Not the biggest fan of his, but I was definitely surprised to find it out

Have you visited Hagia Sophia before?#turkey #vacationfun #familylove❤️