Muslims pray during the holy month of Ramadan at Hagia Sophia, February 27, 2026. The mosque opened in 537 AD and served as a museum from 1935 to 2020.Image: keystone
Two Russian citizens were transferred to an internment camp in Turkey on suspicion of “incitement to hatred.”
July 16, 2026, 12:39 p.mJuly 16, 2026, 12:39 p.m
A Russian tourist couple was arrested in Istanbul for allegedly reading the Bible in Hagia Sophia, which is currently used as a mosque. They were escorted out of the building by police and arrested, Austrian Kathpress reported.
They were then transferred to a migrant detention center, where, according to media reports, they will remain in custody until the administrative proceedings are completed.
The two Russian citizens are suspected of violating Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the offense of “incitement to hatred”. The incident is said to have occurred on Monday.
According to Turkish law, administrative detention of foreigners cannot exceed six months, but can be extended for another six months if deportation cannot be completed due to lack of documents or lack of cooperation from the detainee.
“Symbol of Conquest”
Meanwhile, a social media post by Turkish Culture Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy recently caused outrage in the Orthodox (Greek) world. On the occasion of the sixth anniversary of the reopening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque, he spoke of a “symbol of conquest”. He recalled the “historic day” on which Hagia Sophia was reopened for worship with the signature of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This means a long-awaited wish has come true.
“In Hagia Sophia, the symbol of conquest and the unique legacy of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, we are carrying out with the greatest care the most extensive restoration work in the history of the Republic of Turkey to preserve this sacred heritage in its original form for future generations,” Ersoy wrote.
The Hagia Sophia was built in 537 as the largest church in Christianity at the time. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, it was converted into a mosque and later, in the Turkish Republic, it was declared a museum by the state’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1935. President Erdogan made it a mosque again in July 2020. The dome in its current form dates back to the year 562. (sda/apa)