In 1934 the status of Hagia Sophia, once a cathedral in the Eastern Orthodox Church, changed from a mosque to a museum. It was done in a secularization effort by the founding president of the new republic, President Atatürk.
In 2020, under President Erdoğan, the Turkish courts deemed the decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a museum had no legal grounds. And so the Turkish government reversed it, making it a working mosque again. On July 24, 2020, Hagia Sophia opened for prayers. The upper gallery was closed that year and reopened on July 15, 2024, with new rules.
Petition to re-open Hagia Sophia as a mosque began in 2016. Here is a legal look at the case from Harvard Law Review.
➣ Here was my visit to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
What this means for visitors:
- Two separate entrances for tourists who enter at the northeast corner of Hagia Sophia and for Muslim worshippers who enter through the one on Sultanahmet Square.
- There is a fee for tourists (25 euros) and entry to pray during prayer time is free to Muslim worshippers. Kids under 8 can also enter for free.
- Hagia Sophia is closed during prayer and on Fridays between 12 Noon and 2PM. It’s opened for tourists from 9AM to 8:30PM. As a mosque, it is opened 24/7.
- Visitors must dress conservatively, covering the shoulders, arms, and knees. Women must now cover their heads. Head coverings are available for rent or purchase, in case you came without one.
- The lower floor is restricted to prayer and cannot be entered by tourists.
Entry to the museum experience is additional and I’ve read from various reviews that it’s not worth it.
