Police seize 1,147 historical artifacts in Istanbul

Turkish police on Friday seized 1,147 stolen historical artifacts in Istanbul, reported Xinhua, quoting local media.

The Istanbul Police Department teams have recently begun to trace the calligraphy plates, paintings, valuable rugs, and other ancient objects, which were stolen from various regions of Anatolia, and some Ottoman-era mosques and churches in Istanbul, the Sozcu daily said.

During the investigations, police determined that the artifacts have been hidden in two separate addresses at the European side of the city, Sozcu noted, citing police reports.

The units launched simultaneous operations to the locations and detained two people, according to press reports.

The seized pieces were put on display in the garden of the police headquarter in the city, the Milliyet daily reported, noting that they will soon be delivered to the related state institutions.