A strange incident occurred in Istanbul’s Byzantine landmark, Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), which has been a mosque for 5 years. Cameras captured a man in a red hat, presumably a foreigner, attempting to set the mosque on fire at night. This was reported by ermenihaber.am.
The video shows him hiding behind a column, taking some papers out of his pocket and burning them.
A woman noticed a book and carpet burning in the mosque and started screaming, after which she and the imam of the mosque tried to put out the fire. After the incident, the police launched an investigation and arrested the suspect 2 days later.
It turned out that the man had previously been treated in a psychiatric center. After the incident, security measures were strengthened in the mosque.
It should be noted that on July 24, 2020, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.