Greek Tourists Arrested in Turkey After Unfurling Flag Inside Hagia Sophia

Two Greek tourists were arrested successful Istanbul aft unfurling a Greek emblem wrong Hagia Sophia connected Holy Thursday. Credit: Flickr / Dennis Jarvis / CC BY SA 2

Two Greek tourists were arrested successful Istanbul connected the day of Orthodox Holy Thursday aft allegedly unfurling a Greek emblem wrong Hagia Sophia, according to reports from Turkish media. The 2 individuals were a pistillate traveling connected a Greek passport and a antheral with dual Greek and Australian citizenship.

Reports accidental the brace unfurled a bluish emblem with a achromatic cross, resembling a mentation of the Greek flag, alongside the Byzantine double-headed eagle and the operation “Orthodoxy oregon Death”.

Greek tourists entered Hagia Sophia arsenic portion of an organized tour

Security camera footage reportedly shows the 2 entering Hagia Sophia arsenic portion of an organized circuit group. After completing the required checks, they headed to the precocious level, an country unfastened to visitors.

Once there, 1 of them allegedly pulled the emblem from wrong a jacket, unfolded it, and posed for a photograph. The idiosyncratic past handed the emblem to different subordinate of the group, who repeated the action. The footage besides suggested that much radical whitethorn person intended to articulation in.

Greek tourists referred to tribunal aft Hagia Sophia incident

Security unit spotted the incidental rapidly done the site’s surveillance strategy and stepped successful earlier the concern could escalate further. At the aforesaid time, different subordinate of the radical reportedly appeared acceptable to clasp the aforesaid flag.

Authorities aboriginal referred the 2 tourists to a tribunal successful Istanbul, which formally ordered their apprehension connected a complaint described arsenic insulting a conception of the public.

Ayasofya'da bayrak açan 2 Yunan turist tutuklandı.
pic.twitter.com/mKcwWxVTJ3

— DarkWeb Haber (@darkwebhaber) April 14, 2026

Hagia Sophia holds heavy symbolic significance

The incidental carries peculiar sensitivity due to the fact that Hagia Sophia successful Istanbul, historically known arsenic Constantinople, remains 1 of the strongest symbols of the Greek Orthodox satellite astir six centuries aft the Ottoman conquest and its conversion into a mosque.

From 537 to 1453, the church, known to the Byzantines arsenic the “Great Church,” stood astatine the halfway of Eastern Christianity. More than a monumental structure, it served arsenic the religious, political, and creator bosom of the Byzantine Empire. Historical accounts picture a immense ineffable abstraction that could clasp thousands of worshippers, portion hundreds of priests, deacons, and chanters conducted its liturgies.

Its importance, however, ne'er rested connected size alone. Builders placed Hagia Sophia successful what galore astatine the clip saw arsenic the “New Jerusalem,” and the monument came to symbolize some imperial powerfulness and the triumph of Christianity aft centuries of Roman persecution.

A monument astatine the halfway of history

The operation completed successful 537 AD did not people the opening of Christian worship connected the site. Tradition holds that Constantine I founded the archetypal basilica astir 325 AD connected the remains of a pagan temple. His son, Constantius II, consecrated the cathedral successful 360.

Fire damaged that aboriginal religion successful 404 during unrest that followed the 2nd exile of St. John Chrysostom, past Patriarch of Constantinople. Authorities aboriginal rebuilt and enlarged it, and Theodosius II rededicated it successful 415. The Nika riots, however, destroyed it erstwhile again successful 532.