Three suspects were apprehended while trying to sell a 1,200-year-old Bible in the Diyarbakir province of south-eastern Turkey.
The Bible is said to contain 34 pages with gold lettering on leather.
According to a statement from the Diyarbakir governor’s office, the suspects were caught during an anti-smuggling operation.
The statement said a total of six suspects were taken into custody, although no further details were given on the arrest.
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The Anatolian heartland is home to numerous holy sites revered by Christians, making Turkey a primary destination for those smuggling antiquities from Syria which is close to Diyarbakır at the border.
In Turkey’s cultural capital of Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia landmark is linked to a former eastern orthodox church which was once the largest in christendom.
It was converted to a mosque in 1453 by the Turks and into a museum in 1935.
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Christians form a small minority in the predominantly Muslim population of Turkey, a country of 82 million people.
Thousands of anti-smuggling operations are carried across Turkey every year to halt the illegal sale of historical objects and protect the country’s rich cultural heritage.
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