Istanbul [Turkiye], November 30: Pope Leo XIV has visited Istanbul's Sultan Ahmed Mosque - widely known as the Blue Mosque - in his first visit to a Muslim place of worship since he took up the papacy in May. The Pontiff was seen bowing as he entered the building, but it is reported he did not pray at the mosque, as his two predecessors had done.
The Vatican said in a statement Leo undertook the tour "in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer".
The Pope is on a four-day trip to Turkiye, after which he will visit Lebanon.
He was later welcomed to St George's Cathedral in Istanbul by the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Patriarch Bartholomew.
The Blue Mosque is officially named for Sultan Ahmed I, leader of the Ottoman Empire from 1603 to 1617, who oversaw its construction.
It is decorated with thousands of blue and turquoise ceramic tiles and receives millions of visitors each year.
Pope Francis prayed there in 2014, and Pope Benedict XVI did so in 2006.
Source: Qatar Tribune
