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Hagia Sophia Mosque vs Topkapi Palace
Both Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace are highly recommended by professionals. On balance, Topkapi Palace scores significantly higher than Hagia Sophia. Topkapi Palace comes in at #1 in Istanbul with praise from 9 publications such as Travel + Leisure, Michelin Guide and Time Out.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
Fodor's
Concierge
Frommer's
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
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Sultanahmet, Eminonu District, Istanbul, Turkey
From $0 /night
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
"Don't even dream of leaving Istanbul without visiting this holy trinity of sights."
Frommer's
"For almost a thousand years, the Ayasofya was a triumph of Christianity and the symbol of Byzantium."
Full review
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
"Hagia Sophia reigned as the greatest church in Christendom from the fourth century to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453."
Full review
Topkapi Palace
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Let's Go
Michelin Guide
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Babıhümayun Caddesi , Istanbul, Turkey
From $0 /night
Fodor's
"Few other royal residences match this hilltop compound when it comes to mystery, intrigue, and the lavish intricacies of court life."
Full review
Concierge
"If you're stuck for time, limit yourself to the main palace and the harem, the most intimate and personal rooms used by the sultans and their many, many women."
i
Avoid going on weekends or during peak periods of the day so you miss the busloads of people who move in flocks around the grounds in a veritable babel of chattering languages.
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"This opulent palace complex is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's royal residences put together."
Full review
Let's Go
"The views are luxurious, the buildings overwhelmingly crafted, and the treasures outrageous. "
Full review
Michelin Guide
3 Stars
"In the harem of Topkapi Palace visitors are plunged into a mythical Orient of a thousand and one treasures and as many fantasies."
Full review
i
Visit the unmissable Treasury and its masterpiece: a 250kg solid gold throne encrusted with diamonds and emeralds.
