Tourist returns mosaic tiles to Hagia Sophia
In 1956, an American lady was visiting Istanbul, where Hagia Sophia was under restoration. Some workers gave her 11 tiny mosaic tiles--just to be nice, I guess? (Darn that Turkish hospitality instinct!) She took them home in her purse (customs officials, anybody?), but over the years began to be freaked out by the thought that she had artistic contraband in her house. They even gave her nightmares. Recently, on a return trip to Istanbul, she brought them along and--being too chicken to face the Authorities at HS--gave them to a jeweler in a shop near HS, and HE, fortunately, Did the Right Thing and handed them over to the people who manage HS (who are presumably the Government). Now everybody is happy and the lady can sleep soundly. What will happen to the tiles?
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