Not everyone will pay
As of January 15, foreigners’ visits to the Hagia Sophia Mosque will cost 25 Euros (about 2.4 thousand rubles at the current exchange rate)Tickets will be available at the special box office. At the same time, Turkish citizens will be able to continue to provide services to mosques free of charge. The new rules for visiting the foreign attraction were announced on October 31, 2023. This decision of the authorities connected With UNESCO recommendations: In 2021, the organization asked the country’s leadership to develop a management plan for the mosque and submit a report on the measures taken to preserve the monument.
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, in his statement, noted that as of January 15, entrances to the mosque for foreigners and nationals will be physically separated, thus “visit management” will be established and queues and crowds will be prevented. .
Hagia Sophia was built in 537. After the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453 and the collapse of the Byzantine Empire, the cathedral was converted into a mosque. In 1935, the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, signed the government decree on the establishment of the Hagia Sophia Museum and the evacuation of the mosque from there. In July 2020, current Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan revised his decision – Hagia Sophia again turned into a Muslim temple with regular services. From this moment on, entrance to Hagia Sophia became free for visitors.
What else could be more expensive?
In a conversation with socialbites.ca, ATOR Deputy Chairman Artur Muradyan suggested that paid entrance to Hagia Sophia could pose an obstacle for some tourists who want to visit the iconic mosque.
“From a tourist perspective, 25 euros, or 50-100 euros for a family of two or four, cannot be considered a very serious expenditure. “On the other hand, of course, some tourists will also consider spending money to visit this attraction.”
According to the expert, after the Hagia Sophia Mosque, authorities may also increase the prices of entrance tickets to other museums and tourist attractions.
“Due to the not-so-good fate of the lira in the last few years, price increases in tourism services are inevitable. And of course, tourists need to be prepared for the increase in service costs associated with the use of Istanbul’s tourism infrastructure,” says Muradyan.
How to save money on Istanbul’s “attractions”?
Istanbul has always been the center of attention for foreigners, and in recent years it has become one of the main tourist destinations for Russians. Due to the large number of flights of both Russian and Turkish airlines, round-trip flight prices vary between 16 and 22 thousand rubles. (If you want and are patient, you can even find it a little cheaper). Renting accommodation in the city is also not a problem: a single room in a “student type” hostel in the Taksim area (close to all major attractions) can be booked for 1.2 thousand rubles. A similar room per day, but in a hotel, will cost 5 thousand rubles. If you know the places and use life hacks offered by local residents, you can save a lot of money by visiting attractions.
As Iskender Kerimov from Istanbul told socialbites.ca, Turkey currently has a fairly high level of inflation, so it is not surprising that prices for visiting historical sites are regularly increasing and visits to places that were previously free have become paid.
“Visiting the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which was previously accessible free of charge, will now cost the tourist 820 lira. You will also have to pay a large amount of money to visit places such as Topkapı Palace, Istanbul Cisterns or Galata Tower. But there are a few tips and useful services that will not only significantly reduce costs but also help you make visiting the city more comfortable,” he said.
First of all, Kerimov recommends: pay attention to the state service “MüzeKart” (MuzeKart). The card gives you the opportunity to visit the main attractions of Istanbul not only for free (after paying in advance, of course), but also without waiting in line.
Tariffs vary depending on the list of museums and monuments included and the duration of the card. You can buy it online both from the official website and from sales points located in almost all famous tourist destinations.
“There you will also find a detailed list of cultural places to visit; Many of these are given very little importance, completely unjustly. There is an option to purchase a card online, but I strongly advise you not to do this: the electronic version requires the installation of a special application, activation, mobile Internet on the site, in this regard the use of a physical card will be much more convenient. . “The cost of the card varies from 6 to 9 thousand rubles, but if you plan to visit more than three well-known places, this will be economically justified,” he shared.
According to Kerimov, many “attractions” for foreigners are still free: this is the Blue Mosque next to Hagia Sophia, the Grand Bazaar and the popular Istiklal Street in the Taksim district with its world-famous red tram. . There are also many views of Istanbul.
“The most photogenic regions are Balat and Fener, known for both their unique flavors and the view of the Golden Horn Gulf. Another interesting place is the Kadıköy region on the “Asian” Anatolian side. It is less lively than the European part of the city, but it is a great place to relax, enjoy delicious food (not at tourist prices!) and meditate on the banks of the Bosphorus,” said a local resident.
You can also save on trips along the Bosphorus. The first thing Kerimov recommends doing after checking into a hotel or hostel buy a universal Istanbulkart travel card (It works by analogy with the Moscow Troika card).
“Also, unlike cash, contactless debit card payment is not accepted everywhere; you have to look for a kiosk, stand in line, buy tickets for twice the price, etc. It will be necessary. You can save a lot with Istanbulkart: Transport in Istanbul is expensive, and due to traffic congestion and local peculiarities, you can wait 30-40 minutes for a taxi and in the end it is possible that no one will come to you, he warned.
Kerimov added that the bonus of purchasing an Istanbulkart will be a free ferry ride on the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Not everyone knows, but Istanbul’s municipal ferries are integrated into the general transportation system, like the metro, city and regular buses.
“So instead of buying a private Bosphorus tour by commercial plane for 30 euros or by private boat for 50 euros, you can take the municipal ferry for the metro fee and visit the entire bay with a few changes. “The disadvantage is that you have to examine the routes yourself and choose the right one,” he explained.
Istanbul is called the “city of cats” and many tourists who come here definitely want to visit the “cat houses and cafes”. According to Kerimov, there is no point in looking for such facilities in Istanbul:
“Every catering establishment in Istanbul is a cat cafe, it is harder to find a business or store that does not have cats, and you certainly do not need to look for them specifically. So start with the locations, routes and landscapes that interest you, and cats everywhere will find you themselves.”