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Little Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

4.7
Religious Site · Hidden Gem · Tourist Spot
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Originally built as an octagonal church topped by a large central dome, Little Hagia Sophia inspired the design of Hagia Sophia. Legend has it that Byzantine Emperor Justinian commissioned the church in 527 to honor the patron saints of soldiers, Saints Sergius and Bacchus, who saved him from a death sentence. Take an all-encompassing view of the interior from the gallery. The white walls, once covered in golden mosaics, are now adorned with Arabic calligraphy. Notice the inscription in Greek around the central nave dedicated to the Emperor Justinian, his wife Theodora, and Saint Sergius. The outside court features a small garden, a fountain, several teahouses, bookshops, and calligraphy boutiques. A small cemetery north of the building houses the grave of Hüseyin Ağa, the 16th-century founder of the mosque. Put Little Hagia Sophia at the forefront of your travel plans using our Istanbul road trip app.
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Little Hagia Sophia reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
1,174 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • This was built as a church during the time of Justinian, and was used to prototype some of the designs for the Hagia Sophia. It was converted into a mosque after the conquest, and has been... 
    This was built as a church during the time of Justinian, and was used to prototype some of the designs for the Hagia Sophia. It was converted into a mosque after the conquest, and has been...  more »
  • Originally a church in 527 then it was turned into a mosque in 1497 by Huseyin Aga. The Mosque is located behind Sultanahmet square, 5 minutes walk away. 
    Originally a church in 527 then it was turned into a mosque in 1497 by Huseyin Aga. The Mosque is located behind Sultanahmet square, 5 minutes walk away.  more »
  • Little Ayasofya Church (Kucuk Ayasofya Camii), is little known and little visited. It was built in the sixth century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian, it has some nice decorations inside, is... 
    Little Ayasofya Church (Kucuk Ayasofya Camii), is little known and little visited. It was built in the sixth century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian, it has some nice decorations inside, is...  more »
Google
  • One of the many little wonders of Istanbul. A peaceful mosque located around 800m from the blue mosque and surrounded by a lot of cafes and restaurants. The mosque itself has a little cafe/library and has a lot of friendly cats!
  • It's a graceful Masjid having similarities with Hagia Sofia Masjid. It's well maintained and in a very good condition. There is a garden in front of it which is famous for home made tea.
  • Great history and worth to see it but the location is not very convenient if you will go from the top to the bottom and climb it up again. Need to make appropriate route. Lovely and quiet place by the way. Mosque in the same style as Hagia Sophia and deserved it’s name as a Little Hagia Sophia
  • Very nice calm masjid near the Sea of Marmara. Little Hagia Sophia, built between 532 and 536, used to be an a Othodox Church but was converted into a masjid during the Ottoman Empire.
  • This tiny mosque, a former byzantine church, is located in a potentially beautiful area, somehow spoiled by dilapidated buildings, a familiar sight in İstanbul. The story goes that the architects that would eventually build St. Sophia experimented here with the seemingly unsupported central dome, hence the name “Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya)”. İt’s renovated, but not much from the original decoration survive, possibly buried under plaster; it still displays beautiful columns with elaborated capitals and a greek carved epigram dedicated to Justinian and Theodora, the commisioners.

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