Fresh damage done on Hagia Sofia’s Imperial Gate

More damage was caused on Hagia Sophia’s Imperial Gate, as vandals appear to have pried out the metal plates on the oakwood door, according to a report on Turkish broadcaster ATV.

“Once again [the temple] was the target of reckless individuals. In the past, they destroyed the Imperial Gate, the walls and the marbles. And now one of the emblems of the Imperial Gate of Hagia Sophia has been lost,” the report said.

It was the second time the door has been damaged in less than three months. In May, photos posted on social media showed visitors scraping the walls of the temple and placing small pieces in their bags, to take them as souvenirs.

The Imperial Gate is the main entrance to what was the most important church in the Byzantine Empire and was originally exclusively used by the emperor.

According to tradition, the doors were made with oak from Noah’s ark.