Pope Makes First Visit to a Muslim Place of Worship at Istanbul’s Blue Mosque
Welcomed by Safi Arpaguş, President of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), the Pope removed his shoes and walked through the mosque’s carpeted interior, taking in its iconic turquoise tiles and soaring dome.
Built in 1617 under Sultan Ahmed I, the mosque is one of the most important symbols of Ottoman Islamic architecture and remains an active centre of worship for Istanbul’s Muslim majority.
The mosque’s imam, Asgin Tunca, told reporters that he had described the space to the Pope as “Allah’s house,” adding, “If you want, you can worship here.”
According to the imam, the Pope declined but expressed that he “wanted to see the mosque” and “feel its atmosphere.”
The Blue Mosque has long been included on the itineraries of modern popes as a gesture of respect toward Muslims.
Pope Leo follows his predecessors in this tradition, though he notably excluded the nearby Hagia Sophia from his schedule. The former Byzantine cathedral was reconverted into a functioning mosque in 2020, a decision that drew criticism from several Western governments and the Vatican.
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The Pope’s stop at the Blue Mosque marked the beginning of a day focused on interfaith contacts.
After leaving the site, he held a closed-door meeting with leaders of Türkiye’s Christian communities at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem. Later, he was scheduled to join Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in prayer at the Orthodox Patriarchal Church of Saint George.
The visit comes during a wider effort by the Pope to promote dialogue among global religious communities. On Friday, he joined Christian leaders in Iznik—ancient Nicaea—to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a landmark gathering that produced the Nicene Creed, still recited by most Christian denominations today.
The Pope urged leaders there “to overcome the scandal of divisions” and strengthen unity at a time of global humanitarian crises.
Pope Leo will conclude his day in Istanbul by celebrating Mass with Türkiye’s small Catholic population, estimated at just 33,000 in a nation of more than 85 million.
Source: Agencies
