Istanbul History

Despite the attempts to make the building an Islamic exhibition, take advantage of some new glimpses on the balcony at the Hagia Sophia visit (Aya Sofya Camii), once the largest church in the world from 537 to 1506 AD. As advertised: Once a church, later a Mosque^[1]https://muze.gen.tr/muze-detay/ayasofya The balcony has been closed for a few years, but Jan. 2024 opened up this area again but closed most of the lower floor. We will explore what can still be seen from the second floor.