Landmark · Istanbul
Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi (Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque) tickets: free entry days, prices & hours
Independent guide, not the official Hagia Sophia website. Official links are under Sources.
Hagia Sophia is free for some visitors, not for everyone.
- Free for: entry for worshippers (prayer hall, separate worship entrance).
- Otherwise: foreign visitors – gallery visitor route — €25.
All free options
Who gets in free, and when
| Free option | Who | Conditions | Book? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free forFree entry for worshippers (prayer hall, separate worship entrance) | people attending a service (worship only, no sightseeing) | Only visits for worship are free; sightseeing is via the paid gallery route for foreign tourists. Worship and tourist entrances are separate. The official statement does not say how foreign Muslim visitors are treated. Visitors (non-worshippers) are not admitted during the five daily prayers; times shift daily with the sun (see namazvakitleri.diyanet.gov.tr for İstanbul). Friday midday prayer closes the mosque to sightseeing for longer. Modest dress: covered shoulders and knees; women cover their hair; shoes off. | No |
Before you go
How to actually get in for free
- Tourists go up to the gallery level by the paid route; the ground floor is reserved for prayer.
- Avoid Friday midday, when the mosque is busiest with worshippers.
- Don't confuse it with the 'Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum' across the square - a separate digital museum (€25).
Tickets & tours
Best-rated tickets and tours: Hagia Sophia
Skip-the-line ticketHagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Tickets★★★★★ 4.5 · 8.0k reviewsfrom ₺1,569.60
Skip-the-line ticketIstanbul Super Combo: Topkapi Palace + Hagia Sophia + Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Tickets★★★★★ 4.7 · 7.2k reviewsfrom ₺8,913.08
Timed-entry ticketIstanbul: Hagia Sophia Entry Ticket with Audio Guide★★★★☆ 4.1 · 3.4k reviewsfrom ₺1,623.08
Skip-the-line ticketCombo: Hagia Sophia + Basilica Cistern Skip-the-Line Tickets with Audio Guide★★★★★ 4.6 · 3.3k reviewsfrom ₺5,207.70
Skip-the-line ticketHagia Sophia Skip-the-Line Ticket & Blue Mosque Audio Guide★★★★☆ 4.0 · 3.0k reviews1 - 2 hoursfrom ₺1,623.08
Skip-the-line ticketHagia Sophia Guided Tour with Skip-the-Line Tickets★★★★★ 4.5 · 3.0k reviewsfrom ₺2,046.08
Ratings and prices from the booking partners; prices may change.
Official prices
Hagia Sophia ticket prices
| Foreign visitors – gallery visitor route — Price stated and charged in EUR (25 Avro) by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for the system that started on 15 Jan 2024; re-checked 2026-11-02: no newer official tariff page found (the gallery route is not listed on muze.gov.tr; ayasofyacamii.gov.tr has no visitor info). MüzeKart is not valid. | €25 |
Prices from the official website, checked Nov 2026. Free options are listed above.
Practical
Opening hours & how to get there
Active mosque. Tourists use a separate ticketed visitor route to the upper gallery (ticket booth opposite the Fountain of Ahmed III; entry via the tunnel under the Bayezid II minaret). Official visiting hours were not published on a page we could read. Visitors (non-worshippers) are not admitted during the five daily prayers; times shift daily with the sun (see namazvakitleri.diyanet.gov.tr for İstanbul). Friday midday prayer closes the mosque to sightseeing for longer. Modest dress: covered shoulders and knees; women cover their hair; shoes off.
Ayasofya Meydanı, Sultanahmet, Fatih, İstanbul, Türkiye
Also free nearby
Make a free afternoon of it
Worth paying for nearby
Paid highlights within walking distance
FAQ
Hagia Sophia: common questions
Is Hagia Sophia free?
Hagia Sophia has no free entry for everyone. Also free: entry for worshippers (prayer hall, separate worship entrance).
Who gets free entry to Hagia Sophia?
People attending a service (worship only, no sightseeing) — only visits for worship are free; sightseeing is via the paid gallery route for foreign tourists. Worship and tourist entrances are separate. The official statement does not say how foreign Muslim visitors are treated. Visitors (non-worshippers) are not admitted during the five daily prayers; times shift daily with the sun (see namazvakitleri.diyanet.gov.tr for İstanbul). Friday midday prayer closes the mosque to sightseeing for longer. Modest dress: covered shoulders and knees; women cover their hair; shoes off..
How much is a ticket to Hagia Sophia?
Foreign visitors – gallery visitor route costs €25 on the official site.
Visitor reviews
What visitors say about Hagia Sophia
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Sources
Where this comes from
- iletisim.gov.tr/turkce/haberler/detay/ayasofyanin-muzeye-cevrildigi-iddiasina-iliskin-aciklama · checked Monday, 2 November 2026
Every free rule is checked against the official source and re-checked on a schedule. Spotted a change? Tell us.