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Istanbul

Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia visit

  • Sultan Ahmed Mosque in winter, Istanbul

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  • Sultan Ahmed Mosque in winter, Istanbul

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque for the tiles inside, and Hagia Sophia face each other across Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul's old city.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 and is still a working mosque. Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 as a church, became a mosque in 1453, a museum in 1934, and a mosque again in 2020.

Both are open to visitors outside prayer times. Women cover their hair, everyone dresses modestly, and shoes are taken off at the entrance. The square is also a short walk from Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern.