Change for tourists in Turkey. From January 15, the famous attraction will be paid

Tourists will certainly not be happy with this turn of events. After all, we are talking about a monument in Turkey, which is the country most eagerly visited by Poles. Every year it wins first place in many rankings, and this was also the case. Even though it competes with Greece or Egypt, it still wins, among others. delicious cuisine, unique culture and prices. Soon it will be more expensive, because we will have to pay for the famous attraction, although previously admission was free. Interestingly, the Hagia Sophia mosque is to be paid only for people from abroad.

Türkiye will introduce fees for visiting the Hagia Sophia mosque

Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy came up with an unusual idea. The changes have already been announced and it is known that they will enter into force on February 15, 2024. This means that visiting the famous monument in Turkey will no longer be free of charge in the upcoming holiday season. It’s easy to guess that tourists loved taking advantage of free admission, which left a lot of cash in their pockets, and soon the situation won’t be so good anymore.

There will be a fee for entry to Hagia Sophia. We are talking about a mosque located in Istanbul, which is considered the most important work of Byzantine architecture. Tourists can see numerous colorful mosaics there, including: the one in the tympanum of the imperial gate or those with images of seraphs. The famous column of the church called the “weeping” or “sweating” column is also impressive. Interestingly, the building was built as a Christian building and only later transformed into a Muslim museum.

Paid Hagia Sophia. The changes in Turkey have their causes

Sudden changes in Turkey are not introduced without reason. If you’re wondering why free admission to Hagia Sophia will suddenly be replaced with ticketed entry, the answer is simple. It all results from the fact that the object suddenly found itself on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This organization requires tourists to pay an entrance fee to cultural sites. Thanks to this, the museum is to be preserved in the best possible condition.

It is also worth knowing that entry will not be charged for local believers, but only for tourists from other countries. “Foreigners coming for tourist and cultural purposes will be required to pay an entrance fee,” explained the Turkish minister. Previously, when admission was also paid, it was about PLN 15. What will it be like now? It’s unknown, but we can probably expect a slightly higher rate. We will know the details soon.