In a significant gesture of interfaith dialogue, Pope Leo XIV has visited the historic Blue Mosque in Istanbul during the third day of his first overseas visit as the head of the Catholic Church.
A Day of Interfaith Engagement
The pontiff toured the 17th-century Ottoman-era Sultan Ahmed Mosque, more commonly known as the Blue Mosque, on Saturday, 29 November 2025. He was accompanied by the mosque's imam, Asgin Tunca. Observing traditional etiquette, Pope Leo removed his shoes and walked through the carpeted mosque in his white socks.
While the Vatican had initially indicated the Pope would observe a "brief minute of silent prayer," Imam Tunca later clarified to reporters that the Pope declined an invitation to worship. "I told him, 'It's not my house, not your house, (it's the) house of Allah. If you want, you can worship here,'" Tunca recounted. "But he said, 'that's OK.' He wanted to see the mosque, wanted to feel (the) atmosphere of the mosque, I think. And was very pleased."
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni offered a different perspective, stating, "The Pope experienced his visit to the mosque in silence, in a spirit of contemplation and listening, with deep respect for the place and the faith of those who gather there in prayer."
Meetings with Christian Leaders and Future Travels
Following the mosque visit, the Pope's schedule continued with a private meeting with Turkey's Christian leaders, held at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem. This dual engagement underscored the trip's focus on building bridges between different religious communities.
The Pope did not visit the nearby Hagia Sophia, a site of profound Christian importance that was converted back into a mosque by Turkey in July 2020, a move previously criticised by the Vatican.
Pope Leo is set to conclude his day with a Catholic Mass at Istanbul's Volkswagen Arena, catering to Turkey's small Catholic community, which numbers approximately 33,000 in a nation of over 85 million, predominantly Sunni Muslim, people.
His journey continues on Sunday, when he will depart from Turkey and travel to Lebanon, marking the next leg of his inaugural international pilgrimage.
