Hagia Sophia Mosque

A very beautiful and unique former church with a special history and multicultural artistic influences. The local authorities should have kept it as a neutral museum space however. Its reconversion into a mosque resulted in small barriers, such as having to take of your shoes, a local religious guardian who critically watches you and points to any small mistake you make like where you take of your shoes, where you can put them and also where you cannot go (like a woman's prayer area). Also there was a lack of information and context of the history and art of the building on location. The covering of the dome and shielding away of the women's prayer area makes it hard to acces or view some of the building's amazing art and devalues and even damages the monument and its history in a way. Despite this, there is still enough uncovered to appreciate the Hagia Sophia's art and architecture and it is still well worth the visit.

Beautiful with a nice view.

Charming, majestic historical edifice, let alone the breathtaking views.

Nice

Nice historical building with a great view of Black Sea

An absolute marvel. Hagia Sophia or Ayasofya meaning "Holy Wisdom" is a Byzantine church built during the reign of Manuel I between 1238 and 1263. It is an important example of a late Byzantine church. The oldest graffiti carved in the apses of the church contain the dates 1291 and 1293. After Mehmed II conquered the city in 1461, the church was possibly converted into a mosque and its frescos covered in whitewash. Other scholars suggest it was not converted until 1584, being spared the initial transformation because it stood several kilometers outside the city walls. It was converted into a museum in 1964 and back into a mosque in 2013. This is worrying checking out if you’re visiting.

Nice to visit during you tour in Trapzon city, historical staff

Very Beautiful Church...from here can enjoy black sea view and also have small café