Pope Leo made a notable stop at Istanbul’s famed Sultan Ahmed Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, marking his first visit to a Muslim house of worship since becoming pontiff in May.
Witnesses observed the Pope incline his head upon entering, though reports say he refrained from offering prayers inside, unlike the two popes who visited before him, reports BBC.
According to a Vatican statement, Leo toured the historic site “in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer.”
This visit forms part of a four-day journey to Turkey, after which he will continue on to Lebanon. The Blue Mosque, built under the rule of Sultan Ahmed I between 1603 and 1617, is famed for its thousands of shimmering blue and turquoise tiles and draws millions of tourists annually.
Past papal visitors include Pope Francis in 2014 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. The tradition began in 2001 when John Paul II became the first pope to step inside a mosque, visiting the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
The itinerary for Turkey and Lebanon was originally arranged during the papacy of the late Pope Francis, and Pope Leo embraced its message of strengthening interfaith bonds from the moment he appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica in May.
As he began his trip, he cautioned the world against “a heightened level of conflict on the global level”, warning that “the future of humanity is at stake.”
Lebanon, where Christians make up roughly a third of the population, will host further meetings with religious leaders, as well as an event with young people.
The Pope will end his tour by leading a Mass at Beirut’s waterfront, the site of the 2020 port explosion, offering prayers for the more than 200 lives lost and 7,000 who were injured.
