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Blue Mosque vs Hagia Sophia Mosque

Both Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are rated highly by professionals. On balance, Blue Mosque is the choice of most writers compared to Hagia Sophia. Blue Mosque has a TripExpert Score of 94 with endorsements from 7 publications such as Frommer's, Time Out and Michelin Guide.

Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
9 / 10
Sultanahmet, Istanbul 222, Turkey
From $0 /night
Frommer's Frommer's
"This grand bubble of masonry, one of the great and defining features of Istanbul's skyline, was constructed between 1609 and 1617 by Sultan Ahmet I." Full review
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"With his eponymously named mosque, Sultan Ahmet I (r1603–17) set out to build a monument that would rival and even surpass the nearby Aya Sofya in grandeur and beauty." Full review
Fodor's Fodor's
"Only after you enter the Blue Mosque do you understand the name... this mosque feels gloriously airy and full of light." Full review
Let's Go Let's Go
"Intricately decorated with the blue Iznik porcelain tiles responsible for the mosque’s name, this mosque feels a bit like being inside a colossal blue china teapot." Full review
Michelin Guide Michelin Guide
3 Stars
"This jewel of the 17C has retained its vocation as a place of worship... the over-riding effect here is one of grace and solemnity." Full review
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Hagia Sophia Mosque
Hagia Sophia Mosque
9 / 10
Sultanahmet, Eminonu District, Istanbul, Turkey
From $0 /night
Fodor's Fodor's
"This soaring edifice is perhaps the greatest work of Byzantine architecture and for almost a thousand years... it was the world's largest and most important religious monument. " Full review
Concierge Concierge
"Don't even dream of leaving Istanbul without visiting this holy trinity of sights."
Frommer's Frommer's
"For almost a thousand years, the Ayasofya was a triumph of Christianity and the symbol of Byzantium." Full review
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"Sophia in Latin, Haghia Sofia in Greek and the Church of the Divine Wisdom in English, this extraordinary building is İstanbul's most famous monument." Full review
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
"Hagia Sophia reigned as the greatest church in Christendom from the fourth century to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453." Full review
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