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I am arriving at Ataturk Airport at 5:40 AM. I am scheduled to depart Ataturk AP at 11:25 AM (the same day).
Would someone kindly tell me if traveling to Hagia Sophia for a brief visit, then returning to Ataturk in time
to make that 11:25 flight w/o too much stress...... is possible? Any transport suggestions and tips would be
much appreciated. Thank you sincerely. Haliphot

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Ohh ouch,I think this would be pushing it to the limit.For a 11.25 flight you need to check in by 09.25 latest.
Even by taxi it would be c.06.30 by the time you reach Sultanahmet.Hagia Sofia doesn't actually open until 09.00 but you could have an hour looking around the outside of it and also Blus Mosque just across from it.
You could then take the tram from nearby Sultanhmet tram stop at.c.08.30-08.40 change to the metro and Zeytinburnu back to airport....or just take another taxi,but the roads will be hideous by then so tram/metro will be quicker.
So you would have 20$ to pay for a visa,c.20$ for a taxi,then another 10$ for tram/metro combo back to the airport,just for an hour or so's look at the outside.Your choice :)

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Haliphot, are these two entirely different flights, meaning that you need to collect and then check in your bags again at Atatürk? Or will your bags go straight through/will you already have your second boarding card? If it's the second of those, time is a bit more on your side.

As sarikanarya says, Hagia Sophia won't even be open when you're in town. You could get maybe 1½ hours walking round Sultanahmet, but that's about it. I wouldn't bother unless this was the only chance in my life to see anything of Istanbul.

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Agree with above post. If you are really keen to walk around a bit of Istanbul, then it's doable.... the area around the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque is worth a stroll if you're happy to pa for the visa and transport.

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