Two Greek citizens were detained successful Istanbul aft the incidental successful Hagia Sophiawhere they unfurled a emblem with a Byzantine symbol and shouted slogans.
The incidental occurred successful Maundy Thursday (April 9) and caused a punctual effect from the facility’s information service.
How the incidental happened
According to Turkish sources, tourists:
- entered Hagia Sophia arsenic portion of an organized group;
- passed standard information controls;
- went up to the assemblage unfastened to visitors.
On the precocious level, 1 of them took retired a antecedently hidden emblem with double headed eagle and the inscription “Orthodoxy oregon Death”.
Actions wrong an object
Two Greeks arrested for raising a Byzantine eagle emblem wrong the Hagia Sophia pic.twitter.com/0HbJnCX7wP
— Athens News (@russianathens) April 14, 2026
According to the videos:
- tourists took turns posing with the flag;
- passed it connected to each other;
- shouted slogans successful the room.
The information work rapidly recorded what was happening done surveillance cameras and intervened.
Detention and charges
Those detained were:
- a woman with a Greek passport;
- a antheral with Greek and Australian citizenship.
They were taken to tribunal Istanbulwhere they were charged with insult to nationalist order.
Context
Hagia Sophia remains a delicate spiritual and governmental site, and immoderate such actions wrong it are considered provocative by Turkish authorities.
Greek (GR) · 
English (US) ·