Buenos Aires, November 29 (NA) -- In an intense day dedicated to interreligious dialogue and ecumenical rapprochement, Pope Leo XIV visited the iconic Blue Mosque of Istanbul, met with Christian leaders of various denominations at the Syriac Church of Mor Ephrem, and will conclude his tour at the historic Patriarchal Church of Saint George, the spiritual heart of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The Pope experienced the mosque visit in silence, in a spirit of recollection and listening. The Pontiff's day in Istanbul, marked by interreligious dialogue and ecumenical rapprochement, began early.
Photo: Agencia NA/Vaticans News
According to what the Argentine News Agency was able to learn, the Holy See Press Office informed through its Telegram channel that "The Pope experienced the visit to the mosque in silence, in a spirit of recollection and listening, with profound respect for the place and the faith of those who gather there to pray".
This first appointment of Leo's third day in Turkey (Türkiye) is the visit to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.
The majestic Blue Mosque, located 8.8 kilometers from the Pontiff's starting point, was built between 1609 and 1617 on the order of Sultan Ahmed I, on part of the old Great Palace of Constantinople.
At 7 in the morning, Rome time, the Pope traveled by car to the historic Sultan Ahmed Mosque, world-renowned as the Blue Mosque, one of the city's most emblematic monuments.
Private meeting of the Pope with heads of Churches and Christian communities.
Another distinctive feature is the presence of six minarets, an unusual number that makes it one of the few mosques in the world with such a number.
After the visit, the Pope moved to the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem, located 15.7 kilometers away, in the Yeşilköy district. The leaders participated in a closed-door meeting with interventions from each representative and a speech by the Pope.
In the early afternoon, the Pope will head to the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, located 5.8 kilometers away. Inaugurated in 2023, it is the first church built in Turkey since the founding of the Republic, a historic event for the Syriac Orthodox community.
At Mor Ephrem, the Pontiff held a private meeting with the heads of the Churches and Christian communities. He was received by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch and by the Metropolitan for the dioceses of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.
This temple, erected in 1720, is adjacent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and among its treasures houses relics of saints venerated in ancient Constantinople, such as Euphemia of Chalcedon.
Designed to become the main place of worship of the Ottoman Empire, its particular nickname derives from the 21,043 turquoise tiles that cover its walls and dome, made in the renowned ceramic tradition of Iznik.
