Ankara, Aug. 9 -- Turkish authorities have arrested a man accused of attempting to set fire to the historic Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul.

The suspect, identified as Mesut Guclu, a 42-year-old resident of the city's Kagithane district, was taken into custody following the incident, which occurred late on July 11.

According to a statement by the Istanbul Police Department on X, Guclu entered the mosque at around 11:50 pm, placed a book on the floor near the Mahmud II Library, and set it alight. The fire damaged part of the mosque's historic carpet before it was swiftly extinguished by on-site security personnel.

A woman at the scene reportedly alerted the mosque's imam, who intervened immediately to prevent the flames from sprea...