India, Aug. 5 -- An alert visitor thwarted an arson attempt at the historic Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul.

The incident took place on July 11 at approximately 11:50 pm in Istanbul, after the evening prayers at the mosque, which is considered as one of the most significant religious and historical site in the Turkey,Turkiye Today reported.

Security footage of the mosque showed a man wearing a red cap, black shirt and shorts entering the mosque. The suspect, whose face was not visible, was carrying several small pieces of paper in his pockets. However, he was not carrying any flammable liquids, thus helping him pass through the metal detectors without raising any suspicion.

However, the CCTV footage shows that instead of approach...