The entrance to the Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul will become paid for foreigners

Turkey is implementing an entrance fee for tourists visiting the Hagia Sophia Mosque (formerly Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul, as reported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey.

Starting on January 15, a new practice will be introduced, distinguishing between entrances for worshipers and foreigners visiting the mosque for cultural purposes. Tourists will be required to pay an entrance fee of 25 euros, as reported by NTV.

As part of the restoration and security initiatives led by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Ersoy, the Hagia Sophia Mosque will be equipped with new facilities for visitors.

To facilitate this, a ticket office will be operational from January 15, selling tickets for those visiting the gallery floor. This ticket office will be located opposite the Ahmet III fountain. Additionally, the historic mosque will be equipped with surveillance cameras, fire detection systems, and emergency alert systems.

Tourists will access the mosque through a tunnel and entrance ramp under the Beyazid II minaret on the southern façade. Visitors will then ascend to the gallery floor, with exit facilitated by a ramp in the northeast direction.

On the gallery floor, tourists will have the opportunity to explore the mosque's harem floor, Ottoman-era annexes, gates of heaven and hell, and view Byzantine mosaics. These innovations aim to enable tourists to visit the mosque without disrupting worship services.

Moreover, tourists will have access to information about the monument in 23 languages without disturbing worshipers. This will be facilitated through the use of headphones connected to their mobile phones or disposable headphones provided on-site.