The Hagia Sophia of Trabzon, also known as the Ayasofya Museum or Saint Sophia of Trebizond, stands in the Fatih neighbourhood of Ortahisar, in the city of Trabzon on Turkey's Black Sea coast. It is a Byzantine church dating from the 13th century, now run as a museum.
What to see
The building is valued for its architecture and for its frescoes, which have survived well over the centuries. Visitors interested in Byzantine religious art will find the wall paintings the main draw, and the interior rewards a slow walk around to take in the detail.
A building with several lives
The church was built as a place of Christian worship. It was later converted into a mosque, and it was eventually opened as a museum. Each stage is still part of how the building is read today, so the visit offers a sense of its changing uses as well as its original purpose.
- A 13th-century Byzantine church, now a museum
- Known for its well-preserved frescoes and architecture
- Once a church, later a mosque, then a museum
Planning your visit
The museum is located at Fatih Mahallesi, Ayasofya Sk., 61040 Ortahisar, Trabzon. To check details before you go, you can call +90 462 223 3043. Trabzon itself is a port city on the Black Sea, and the church makes a natural stop for anyone exploring the city's history and its Byzantine heritage.