Pope Leo visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on Saturday, stepping inside one of the most iconic sites of the Muslim world. He removed his shoes at the entrance in a gesture of respect. He did not appear to pray.
His visit marked the first time a leader of the Catholic Church entered a Muslim place of worship during his four day trip to Türkiye.
The first United States pope bowed slightly before entering the vast seventeenth century structure. The mosque can hold ten thousand worshippers. Leo toured the building with the imam and the mufti of Istanbul, who explained its architecture and history.
He walked in white socks. He smiled often during the twenty minute visit. He exchanged light jokes with the lead muezzin, who performs the daily calls to prayer. The exchange drew attention to the informal mood of the moment during a tightly watched trip.
As the group left the building, the pope noticed that he was being guided through a door marked with a sign that read no exit. Leo mentioned the sign with a smile. The muezzin replied that he could stay in the mosque if he wished.
The Vatican said the visit took place in a spirit of reflection and listening. It highlighted the pope’s respect for the site and the faith of those who gather there. The mosque, formally named for Sultan Ahmed the First, is covered with thousands of blue ceramic tiles, giving rise to its popular name.
Leo did not visit the nearby Hagia Sophia. The decision marked a departure from previous papal trips. The former Byzantine cathedral stood as one of Christianity’s most significant houses of worship for nearly a thousand years. It was later used as a mosque during the Ottoman Empire. It became a museum in the twentieth century before being turned back into a mosque in 2020 by President Tayyip Erdogan.
The Vatican has not offered comment on Leo’s decision. The late Pope Francis voiced sadness in 2020 when the Hagia Sophia became a mosque again during his papacy.
Leo chose mainly Muslim Türkiye as his first overseas destination. The trip marks the one thousand seven hundredth anniversary of the early Church council held in the city. That gathering produced the Nicene Creed, a foundation of Christian belief still used today.
At a ceremony on Friday, the pope met Christian leaders from across the Middle East. He condemned violence in the name of religion. He urged unity among Christian communities. Speaking to clerics from Türkiye, Egypt, Syria and Israel, Leo said it remained a scandal that the world’s two point six billion Christians were not more united.
An Indian healthcare provider plans to invest $50 million in diagnostic and pharmaceutical projects in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region, aiming t...
A U.S. federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, marking a setback in his ongoing legal ...
Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar has said he does not support Ukraine’s fast-track entry to the European Union and will up...
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a five-day visit to China, his fourth trip in four years, highlighting Spain’s push to stre...
Nine suspects have been formally arrested over last week’s gun attack near Israel’s consulate in Istanbul, judicial officials have said...
An Indian healthcare provider plans to invest $50 million in diagnostic and pharmaceutical projects in Uzbekistan’s Namangan region, aiming to expand access to advanced medical services between 2026 and 2028.
A U.S. federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, marking a setback in his ongoing legal battles with major media organisations he accuses of publishing misleading coverage.
Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar has said he does not support Ukraine’s fast-track entry to the European Union and will uphold an opt-out allowing Hungary to avoid contributing to a €90 billion EU loan for Kyiv.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a five-day visit to China, his fourth trip in four years, highlighting Spain’s push to strengthen economic and strategic relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
Hungarians vote in elections on Sunday that could see the end of hard right nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s more than 15 year rule. Opinion polls show Orbán’s Fidesz party trailing 45-year-old Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition Tisza party.
U.S. and Iranian negotiators held their highest-level talks in half a century in Pakistan on Saturday in an effort to end their six-week war, as President Donald Trump said the U.S. military had begun the process of clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
At least 30 people were killed on Saturday in a stampede at Haiti’s Laferrière Citadel World Heritage Site, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise.
Donald Trump has warned that any Iranian ships approaching a declared U.S. blockade zone in the Strait of Hormuz will be “immediately eliminated”, as tensions escalate over maritime restrictions in the Gulf. The comments come after weekend peace talks in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement.
A U.S. federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, marking a setback in his ongoing legal battles with major media organisations he accuses of publishing misleading coverage.
Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar has said he does not support Ukraine’s fast-track entry to the European Union and will uphold an opt-out allowing Hungary to avoid contributing to a €90 billion EU loan for Kyiv.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is on a five-day visit to China, his fourth trip in four years, highlighting Spain’s push to strengthen economic and strategic relations with the world’s second-largest economy.
Hungary’s political landscape is entering a new phase after voters brought an end to the long rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, with analysts pointing to economic discontent and governing fatigue rather than a decisive ideological break.
Millions of people in Sudan are surviving on just one meal a day as the country’s worsening hunger crisis pushes communities closer to famine, humanitarian organisations have warned.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment