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.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in two southern regions of country on Sunday as raging wildfires forced at least 20,00...
Australia is poised to pass new laws to enable a national gun buyback and tighten background checks for gun licences in response to the country’s wo...
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in b...
U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, as tensions with Europe esca...
The Trump administration has invited Russia and Belarus to join a proposed Gaza ‘Board of Peace’, officials in both countries confirmed on Monday....
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, as tensions with Europe escalate and the European Union considers retaliatory measures that could reignite a transatlantic trade war.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to become a founding member of the U.S.-led Board of Peace, while France has declined to take part, citing concerns over the body’s mandate.
The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping centre in Karachi has climbed to 26, with dozens of people still missing as rescue efforts continue, according to local media.
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.
European leaders voiced growing alarm on Sunday over U.S. threats to impose tariffs on eight NATO allies, warning the move could destabilize transatlantic relations and heighten tensions in the Arctic.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has signed a decree recognising Kurdish language rights, as government forces advanced against U.S.-backed Kurdish-led fighters despite U.S. calls for restraint.
Speaking on Armenian public radio on 9 January, Armenia’s Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan made some important announcements for 2026. Among them, discussions between Yerevan and Baku over the range of products Armenia can potentially export to Azerbaijan.
Five skiers were killed in a pair of avalanches in Austria’s western Alpine regions on Saturday, with two others injured, one critically.
Australia is poised to pass new laws to enable a national gun buyback and tighten background checks for gun licences in response to the country’s worst mass shooting in decades at a Jewish festival last month.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
U.S. President Donald Trump has linked his push to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, as tensions with Europe escalate and the European Union considers retaliatory measures that could reignite a transatlantic trade war.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to become a founding member of the U.S.-led Board of Peace, while France has declined to take part, citing concerns over the body’s mandate.
The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping centre in Karachi has climbed to 26, with dozens of people still missing as rescue efforts continue, according to local media.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment