Russian Tourists Detained After Reading Bible Inside Hagia Sophia

ISTANBUL — Two Russian tourists were detained by Turkish authorities after one of them read from a Bible while visiting Hagia Sophia, with police reportedly opening legal proceedings under Turkey’s Penal Code.

The couple, identified in Russian media reports as 35-year-old Viktoriya and 32-year-old Igor, arrived in Istanbul from Moscow on July 13. The following day, while visiting Hagia Sophia, Igor began reading from a Bible he had brought with him. Security personnel and police intervened and escorted the couple to the Fatih District Police Department.

According to the police report, Viktoriya said the couple did not know that reading the Bible inside the former cathedral, which was converted back into a mosque in 2020, was prohibited. She stated that her husband was reading the book and that she occasionally looked at it, adding that they would not have done so had they known it was forbidden.

Authorities reportedly opened an investigation under Article 216 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns “inciting hatred and hostility or insulting the public.” The couple’s lawyer argued that they had no intention of provoking anyone and were simply reading a religious text.

The tourists’ belongings were reportedly seized for examination, and officials are expected to determine whether further legal action or deportation proceedings will follow. The Russian Consulate General in Istanbul is assisting the couple.

Previously, the UOJ reported that two Greek tourists were arrested for displaying a flag in Hagia Sophia.