Russian Couple Detained in Istanbul for Reading Bible in Hagia Sophia

A Russian couple has been detained in Istanbul for reading a Bible in the historic Hagia Sophia, a sixth-century church that was reconverted into a mosque several years ago. The couple, identified as Viktoria and Igor, were escorted out of the Hagia Sophia on Monday and charged with inciting hatred or hostility among the population, according to Ostorozhno Novosti. By Wednesday, Turkish authorities had moved them to a detention facility to await deportation. The state-run TASS news agency confirmed the arrests through anonymous Turkish police sources. Russia's Foreign Ministry told Ostorozhno Novosti that its consulate in Istanbul had contacted the couple's attorney.

Originally built as a cathedral in the Christian Byzantine Empire, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. In 1934, it was designated as a museum amid secularizing reforms. However, in 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan revoked the museum status and reopened the UNESCO site as a mosque for Muslim worship. Russia's Orthodox Church condemned the reconversion as a threat to Christian civilization. Today, the upper gallery of Hagia Sophia is still used as a museum area. According to Ostorozhno Novosti, it was there that Turkish security personnel caught Igor reading the Bible.