Visiting the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are essential on any Istanbul itinerary—but visiting a mosque for the first time as a non-Muslim can seem a little daunting. You don’t want to commit ...

There are some important things to keep in mind before you visit. First, the Hagia Sophia is now a working mosque. You will need to remove your shoes before stepping onto the building's carpet and ...

If you’re looking to understand the different architectural styles and eras of Istanbul, here are five beautiful mosques to visit once you’ve checked the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque off your list ...

Hagia Sophia was a cathedral for nearly 1,000 years before being converted into a mosque in 1453 and a museum in 1935. Diyanet said in a statement on Tuesday that the Christian icons in Hagia ...

The transformation of the Greek Hagia Sophia Cathedral into the Turkish Ayasofya Mosque did not take place ... would hurtle down to smite the invaders before they reached the great church.

Sultan Ahmed I was determined to build a mosque that rivaled the nearby Hagia Sophia, and most would agree that he accomplished this task or, at least, came close. Since the early 1600s ...

The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque—Istanbul’s iconic marvel of ... storage, and burials—before falling into disuse beneath layers of dirt. Türkiye‘s Ministry of Tourism and Culture recently ...

Pope Francis on Sunday joined an international chorus of condemnation of Turkey's decision to convert Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sophia landmark back into a mosque. “I think of Hagia Sophia ...

Al-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the ...

Using a new fee and rules for tourists, Turkey is trying to preserve and improve the experience of worshippers at Hagia Sophia. Tourists can’t visit Hagia Sophia for free anymore. Since Monday ...

Al-Monitor is an award-winning media outlet covering the Middle East, valued for its independence, diversity and analysis. It is read widely by US, international and Middle East decision makers at the ...

The Selimiye mosque was originally built as a church named Hagia Sophia, with ground having been broken in 1209 and the church having been consecrated over a century later in 1326. When Cyprus was ...