This place is the heart of the city. The most ancient building of the great Istanbul and Constantinople. Being there is already an involvement in history and culture. In this place, the main value is not the grandeur and splendor, but the memory of the stones.
It may seem that there is nothing to see there. The church is just beginning to be restored, the interior is empty, only traces of mosaics that once decorated the walls. But this cathedral, built in the 6th century as a Christian one, has never been Muslim. With the arrival of the Ottomans, it was simply closed. If you are "stuck" by stones with a thousand-year history, you will understand.. Entrance is paid, included in the ticket price to Topkapi
An atmospheric place that is bypassed by crowds of tourists heading to the Sultan's Palace. The walls and vaults have been preserved, everything breathes antiquity. I went specifically to this church, we walked there almost alone.