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ARCHIVE – Panoramic view of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Photo: Tunahan Turhan/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa/Archive photo
Keystone
Two tourists have been arrested in Istanbul for allegedly reading aloud from the Bible in the visitor area of the famous landmark—now a mosque—Hagia Sophia. The two are being investigated for inciting hatred and hostility, according to Turkey’s state-run news agency, Anadolu.
The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday. The tourists were arrested by the police and then handed over to immigration authorities. According to the Russian state news agency Tass, they are Russian citizens. The consulate is investigating the circumstances of their detention.
Hagia Sophia has had an eventful history: It was built as a church in the 6th century A.D. by Emperor Justinian and converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453.
By order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, the building was converted into a museum in 1934. In the summer of 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had the Hagia Sophia converted back into a mosque.
16.07.2026, 17:34
