Tourist who carved names into Rome's Colosseum said he was unaware of monument's age

The tourist identified as Ivan Dimitrov wrote an apology letter to the mayor of Rome.

Do you remember the man who scribbled on the wall of the Colosseum in Rome and sparked outrage? Well, the British tourist identified as Ivan Dimitrov said that he was unaware of the monument’s age while apologising for his deed.

A video of Dimitrov went viral recently where he could be seen scribbling “Ivan + Hayley 23” on the wall of the 2,000 -year-old amphitheater with a key. After his act was condemned worldwide, he wrote an apology letter to the mayor of Rome where he mentioned that he understood the “seriousness” of the deed.

According to the BBC, the man offered his “heartfelt and honest apologies to the Italians and to the whole world”. He now faces legal proceedings following a five-day search for him.

“I admit with profound embarrassment that only after what regretfully happened did I learn of the antiquity of the monument,” Dimitrov continued.

The tourist, if convicted, could face a fine of up to 15,000 euros which is approximately Rs 13,59,438 and a prison sentence of two to five years.