Fire attempt inside Hagia Sophia foiled by Imam and worshippers

A video recently surfaced online showing a man attempting to start a fire inside the historic Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul. In the video, the man was seen burning papers inside the mosque during a quiet moment before leaving the premises.

 Fortunately, the mosque's imam and two others present at the time acted quickly to contain the fire before it could spread further. The incident took place on July 11, but the CCTV footage went viral only recently. 

The suspect, identified only by his initials MG, was arrested on July 13. Authorities have not disclosed his full identity or motive.

According to reports, the man entered Istanbul’s most-visited site carrying only a book. As he did not possess any flammable liquids or weapons, he passed through security checks and metal detectors without raising suspicion.

He proceeded to an area behind the lecterns near the mosque’s marble columns, tore the papers into small pieces, set them on fire, and quietly exited. The fire was ignited on a marble surface, which initially limited the damage.

Also read: "As we liberated Hagia Sophia, we will do the same with Al-Aqsa," says Erdogan's son

The attempt was made during a quiet period when very few worshippers were present. A woman at the scene noticed the smoke and quickly informed the imam, who took immediate action to control the blaze.

Footage circulating online shows a man attempting to set fire to the Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul. The fire was extinguished after a woman noticed it and notified the imam. Police are searching for the suspect. pic.twitter.com/AwaNxxtwPa

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) August 5, 2025

According to Turkish media, the fire was eventually brought under control after a burning carpet was removed, preventing the flames from spreading to other parts of the historic structure.

If the fire had caught onto more carpets, it could have caused serious damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Hagia Sophia was originally constructed as a cathedral by Byzantine rulers in 537 AD and later transformed into a mosque following the Muslim conquest.

It served as a museum for decades before being reconverted into a mosque by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2020. The site holds immense religious and historical significance for both Christians and Muslims worldwide.