When mentioning Hagia Sophia, most people will think of the majestic landmark of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Not many people know that you can also visit the off-the-beaten-path Hagia Sophia Trabzon, the mosque that was also once an Eastern Orthodox Church in the eastern part of Turkiye.
I got a chance to visit the Hagia Sophia in Trabzon for the sake of novelty when I stayed in the city before heading to Georgia on my last Turkish trip.
Since I could barely find any guide to Trabzon's Hagia Sophia online, I decided to write one for you.
While the famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul requires visitors to purchase entrance tickets, you can visit Hagia Sophia in Trabzon for free—which can be a great way to explore Turkiye if you're on a budget and hesitant to pay extra for the entrance fee to Hagia Sophia Istanbul.
So, is it worth visiting Hagia Sophia in Trabzon? Will the experience be on par with the one in Istanbul? Here's everything you need to know!
Known as Ayasofya in Turkish, most people only know Hagia Sophia in Istanbul as they thought it was the actual name of the mosque that used to be the world's largest cathedral for centuries before the Ottoman took over in the 1400s.
The truth is, the term Hagia Sophia came from the fact that the building was once a church dedicated to Holy Wisdom in Christian theology during the Byzantine period. The one in Istanbul was once the center of Orthodox Christianity for nearly 1,000 years until the fall of Constantinople, making it especially more significant than the other Hagia Sophia churches.
While no one can argue about the Hagia Sophia Istanbul's significance in Eastern Orthodox history, it is not the only building called Hagia Sophia in the world.
In Turkiye alone, there are a few other church buildings named after the Holy Wisdom. Most of them have now turned into mosques, although they still retain the name of Hagia Sophia until today.
Outside Turkiye, you can also find some historical landmarks of Hagia Sophia, including the Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki—which is also a part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Greece.
Hagia Sophia in Trabzon, Turkiye
Compared to the one in Istanbul that's been there since as early as the 6th century, Trabzon Hagia Sophia is considered pretty new as the building was built in the early 1200s.
Trabzon, formerly known as Trebizond, used to be one of the Byzantine Empire states until the Ottoman Empire conquered the city in the mid-1400s.
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Budget Hotel: Cebeciler Hotel Trabzon [Booking | Agoda]
Mid-Range Hotel: Holiday Inn Trabzon [Booking | Agoda]
Luxurious Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton [Booking | Agoda]
Less than a decade after they took over the then-Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman under Sultan Mehmet II also turned the Hagia Sophia in Trabzon into a mosque after the city was defeated in 1461.
The building wasn't always used for its original function as a mosque, as at one point in the 19th century it was also converted into a cholera hospital due to the epidemic in the area. It was only in the 1950s that the site was turned back into its original function as a place of worship.
Hagia Sophia in Trabzon, Turkey.
How to Get to Hagia Sophia in Trabzon, Turkiye
Trabzon may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the places to visit in Turkiye. However, the city is a nice gateway for those interested in visiting the Black Sea Region.
Situated in the coastal area facing the Black Sea (or Karadeniz for the locals), Trabzon is not exactly a popular city for tourism purposes—but it's strategically located close to some hidden gems in Turkiye, including the famous Sumela Monastery, which you can visit as a day trip from Trabzon.
Black Sea view from the Hagia Sophia Trabzon in Turkey.
If you ever find your way to Trabzon, Ayasofya is pretty easy to get to especially if you travel there by bus. Hagia Sophia Mosque is close to the central bus station in Trabzon, and it takes around a 15-minute drive to get there from Trabzon Airport.
Unlike some other big cities in Turkiye like Istanbul, Izmir, or even Mersin, there's no online taxi app available in Trabzon. Apps like Getir or Bitaksi don't operate in Trabzon, so you can only rely on either public buses or hail a local taxi to get to Hagia Sophia in Trabzon.
Visiting Hagia Sophia in Trabzon: All You Need to Know
Ayasofya Camii in Trabzon, Turkiye.
Despite the Hagia Sophia name, I honestly doubt that people actually travel to Trabzon to visit Ayasofya there.
Most people traveling to the Black Sea Region in Turkiye typically aim for the more popular tourist attractions like Sumela Monastery or Uzungol Lake in Caykara District. As Trabzon is relatively close to the border of Turkiye with Georgia, some people even prefer going all the way to Batumi instead of staying in the city.
Depending on your travel style, but if you like exploring the road less traveled like I do—visiting Ayasofya Trabzon can be pretty rewarding.
I did a DIY trip to Hagia Sophia in Trabzon. Unlike Istanbul's Hagia Sophia where you have to go in a long queue to get to the site, it's free to roam around the mosque area in Hagia Sophia Trabzon. There is no entrance fee, and the site is small enough to spend around an hour or two on your own.
There are several areas you can explore on the site: the main mosque building with some leftover frescoes to showcase that the building was once a place of worship for Eastern Orthodox Christians, the minaret surrounded by the cannons, and the graveyard areas where you can see the Muslim cemetery with the signature Ottoman tombs.
The mosque area faces the Black Sea directly, so you can also stand by the gate just to immerse in the sea view from afar. I could imagine the view might be a whole lot better on a sunny day, but I went there on a cloudy day so the vibe was rather gloomy when I visited.
Although the site is relatively new compared to Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, you can tell that the one in Trabzon isn't as well-maintained as its Istanbul counterpart.
The murals are mostly run down, and the mosque certainly didn't give the same magical vibes as when you visit Ayasofya Istanbul.
Murals at Hagia Sophia in Trabzon, Turkiye.
I remember the first time I went to the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, I literally felt the chills when I saw a portrayal of Jesus and the crest of Prophet Muhammad PBUH side by side inside—I didn't get that kind of chills when I was at Hagia Sophia Mosque Trabzon.
In spite of my total flat reaction toward the site when visiting Ayasofya Trabzon, I still thought it was such a good experience since I figured not a lot of people got a chance to visit the less popular Hagia Sophia in Turkiye.
Maybe the experience would have been so much better if they had provided a tour to highlight the important bullet points about the site and how it's significant not only for Trabzon as the city—but also for the entire Ottoman Empire and Turkish history.
There is a private Trabzon city tour that includes Hagia Sophia as well Ataturk Mansion and Trabzon Aquarium, so it is worth considering if you're interested in visiting the other places to visit in Trabzon. Unfortunately, since I did a DIY trip, I couldn't find any staff around the mosque to whom I could speak or discuss about this historical site in Trabzon.
I remember when I visited some mosques in cities like Edirne or Ankara, I met the imam and the staff who worked there and introduced themselves when I came looking confused. It didn't happen in Trabzon, as the mosque area seems really quiet.
Honestly, I can only assume it's the fact that I went there on a cloudy day, or maybe it's just how the mosque operates these days. Personally, I felt my visit to Hagia Sophia Trabzon was incomplete because of that.
FAQs
Is the Hagia Sophia in Trabzon worth visiting?
If you get a chance to visit Trabzon for any reason, I definitely recommend stopping by the Hagia Sophia just for the sake of experience.
It might be a bit underwhelming compared to the Hagia Sophia experience in Istanbul if you've been there before, but the old murals that look a bit run down give some kind of authenticity that makes you realize that the site has been there for centuries—and the faded painting on the mosque's wall is a part of its history that makes it worthy your visit in this Black Sea coastal town.
However, if you have to choose to visit either Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or Trabzon, I definitely think you should go to the one in Istanbul instead since the experience will be much better than Hagia Sophia Trabzon!
Can you visit Hagia Sophia for free?
You need to purchase an entrance ticket to visit the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul. It's not cheap, but definitely worth going at least once in a lifetime to see the intricate details of the mosque—along with some parts of the original design from when it was the Orthodox Christian cathedral.
Since Hagia Sophia in Istanbul now serves as a functional mosque where Muslims can go there to pray, if you're a Muslim visiting Istanbul, then you can also visit the mosque for free during prayer time.
That's also the advantage of Trabzon Hagia Sophia—unlike Ayasofya in Istanbul that's practically the most popular historical site among tourists in Turkiye; the one in Trabzon is not only less crowded, but it's also free to visit and explore the mosque area without having to pay a penny!
Is there more than one Hagia Sophia?
The name Hagia Sophia itself is actually the Greek word for the Holy Wisdom, and it's given to several churches dedicated to this theology concept in Christianity—mainly in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.
The famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul isn't the only one named after the concept, and it's certainly not the first. Prior to the current site of the Grand Mosque, there were two old Hagia Sophia—both perished due to fire and rebellious action during the Byzantine periods.
Nowadays, many churches are named after the Holy Wisdom; some of them retain the Greek name of Hagia Sophia, so don't be surprised if you find Hagia Sophia outside Istanbul. One of them is Ayasofya Trabzon that I got a chance to visit on my last Turkey trip.
Conclusion
The minaret and the cannon at Hagia Sophia Trabzon, Turkiye.
Hagia Sophia in Trabzon is definitely not as magnificent as the one in Istanbul, but it definitely offers authenticity that you may not experience in the Istanbul Grand Mosque.
While I'm grateful for the opportunity to visit this historical site in Trabzon, I don't think this is the kind of tourist attraction that you'll plan to visit more than once in your lifetime. It's worth visiting for the sake of experience, but certainly not more than that—unless you're a Muslim and actually go there to pray!
Marya The BeauTraveler
I am the founder and main editor at The BeauTraveler. I spent 4 years working in the aviation industry but ironically got to travel more right after quitting the industry in 2015. Born and raised in Indonesia, I started working remotely in 2017, and while I stay at home most of the time, I also regularly spend 2-3 months living a semi-digital nomad life elsewhere every year.
