Istanbul: tourists start paying fee to enter Hagia Sophia

Foreign tourists will start paying from 15 January 2024 the amount of 25 euros to visit the Grand Mosque of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced, giving more details on the new management plan for the historic monument, which seeks to preserve the building, separate tourists from the faithful who come to pray at the temple, and avoid the formation of long queues to enter the site.

In a statement, the ministry said that from 15 January there will be a ticket sales point for Hagia Sophia in front of the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain, near the entrance to Topkapı; visitors will enter the building in a controlled manner via a ramp on the south side of Hagia Sophia, from where they will access the gallery level, and exit from the northeast side. In the gallery section, tourists will be able to see Ottoman-era annexes, pass through the marble door called the ‘Gate of Heaven and Hell‘, and see the Byzantine mosaics.

As part of the restoration work and to protect Hagia Sophia, new security cameras, fire detection and emergency warning systems have been installed along the route that tourists will follow, and new cleaning work has been carried out – under scientific supervision – on the marble and wooden elements.

Tourists visiting Hagia Sophia will also be able to obtain information about this Istanbul’s iconic monument in 23 different languages through an audio system that can be accessed with their mobile phones via a QR code, which they can listen to with their own headphones or with disposable headphones provided. In this way, visitors will be able to receive information about the temple without disturbing those who are praying in the mosque at the time.

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