Foreign tourists will be required to pay an entrance fee of 25 euros to visit historic Hagia Sophia in İstanbul starting January 15, in line with a recent decision from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Hagia Sophia, an iconic cathedral with a history dating back more than 1,500 years, was converted from a museum into a mosque in July 2020 by the Turkish government in a move that attracted international criticism.
Under the new regulation, there are now separate entrances for worshippers and tourists, with the latter required to pay an entrance fee of 25 euros.
Turkish citizens visiting the mosque for religious purposes are not affected by the changes.
It was not clear how this policy will affect non-Turkish Muslims who want to visit the mosque to pray.
Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who in October announced his ministry’s plans to introduce an entrance fee for foreign tourists visiting Hagia Sophia, said the new visitor management practices aim to improve the quality and security of visits to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
He said the new measures are designed to minimize visitor congestion and enhance the quality of both visits and religious services at Hagia Sophia. The entry point for foreign visitors will be changed, and they will be guided through a gallery before exiting, Ersoy added.
The minister stressed that revenue from entrance fees will be used for the maintenance and preservation of Hagia Sophia.
The decision to charge foreign visitors admission comes amid an ongoing debate over the preservation and management of Hagia Sophia following its conversion into a mosque as concerns were raised about preserving the architectural and artistic treasures inside the structure.
Meanwhile, the installation of a roll-up door for tourist entry to Hagia Sophia, which makes it look like a garage or a warehouse, has led to anger on social media.
Many social media users in Turkey expressed outrage over the installation of the roll-up door at the historic building, accusing the Turkish government of betraying the iconic structure’s history.
Journalist İzzet Çapa said on X that he does not know what to say to the “mentality” behind the installation of such a door at such a landmark. He said it’s difficult to distinguish it from the entry to a garage, store or shopping mall.
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Bu gördüğünüz 1500 yıllık Ayasofya’ya yapılan yeni kapı…
Garaj kapısı mı desem, dükkan kepengi mi desem, AVM otoparkı girişi mi desem bilemedim…
Muazzam bir tarihi abideye şunu yapan zihniyete ne diyeceğimi vallahi bilemedim… pic.twitter.com/O8yeohz6wi— Izzet Capa (@izzetcapa) January 14, 2024
Built as a church during the Eastern Roman Empire, the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia later became a mosque during the Ottoman period. Eventually, it was converted into a museum in 1934 with the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923, housing artifacts from both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. The monument was converted into a mosque again after serving as a museum for 86 years.