The timing rooms within the Hagia Sophia were prepared for the intent of keeping the time in order to instruct those within of when to pray within their walls. Prayer was integral to the Islamic traditions, which made the muvakkithane (timing room), extremely important to those inhabiting the Hagia Sophia. In part because the Islamic religion centered around praying five times a day, and with the help of time rooms keeping the time, they were able to stay on schedule and pray all five times at the correct times. In all, there are 38 timing rooms held within the Hagia Sophia complex and all were utilized for telling time and most were also used for praying due to the time being kept for that particular reason. Within a muvakkithane (timing room), can be found  muvakkit, also known as a teller of time. These were specially trained individuals whose sole purpose was to stay within the time room and keep the time for everyone else. They were well trained in the science of telling time using cues such as the sun.

As technology has progressed, the muvakkithane (timing rooms), have become less integral a part of buildings due to the invention of clocks and no need to measure the sun to keep the time. Because of this, many of the time rooms have now been utilized for different purposes, some even sold to create cafes or other public meeting places. Many of these timing rooms were the most beautiful parts of the Hagia Sophia.The timing rooms within the Hagia Sophia were prepared for the intent of keeping the time in order to instruct those within of when to pray within their walls. Prayer was integral to the Islamic traditions, which made the muvakkithane (timing room), extremely important to those inhabiting the Hagia Sophia. In part because the Islamic religion centered around praying five times a day, and with the help of time rooms keeping the time, they were able to stay on schedule and pray all five times at the correct times.

The muvakkithane were typically in the court yards of the larger Hagia Sophia. This gives them the sunlight that is needed for the telling of time during the day and night. There is also the moonlight that is let in through the windows as well that helps tell time and keep track during the night as well as the day. Interestingly enough, some of the muvakkithane doubled as observatories during the night. Depending on the level of intelligence of the time keeper, they could observe the stars at night. But if the intellect was not high enough, it was only used as a prayer room.