500-year-old Bible found in northwestern Turkey

EDİRNE

Two bibles believed to be 500 years old have been found in a police operation in the northwestern province of Edirne, the local governor’s office has said.

An anti-smuggling team seized the two bibles in a shoebox in a car driving towards the Greek border in the district of Uzunköprü, the Edirne Governor’s Office said.

The team seized the bibles and detained three suspects over the incident.

The bibles were delivered to the Edirne Museum Directorate and no further details of the books were provided.

Thousands of anti-smuggling operations are carried out across Turkey every year to halt the illegal sale of historical artifacts and protect the country’s rich cultural heritage.

Several holy books that are believed to be hundreds of years old are seized every year during similar operations.

These books are prepared for sale to historical artifact smugglers, according to experts.