Pope Leo XIV on Saturday visited the historic Blue Mosque in Istanbul, marking a significant moment on the third day of his official trip to Turkey.
The visit is the first time the American-born pope who was elected in May to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has stepped into a Muslim place of worship since succeeding the late Pope Francis.
The Blue Mosque, famous for its six towering minarets and cascading domes, remains one of Turkey’s most iconic landmarks, decorated with stunning blue Iznik tiles that give the structure its name.
With this gesture, Leo XIV follows the example set by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 and Pope Francis in 2014, both of whom also made symbolic visits to the mosque during their papacies.
As expected of all visitors, Pope Leo removed his shoes before entry, walking across the mosque’s burnt-orange carpet in white socks — a detail observers linked to his favourite baseball team, the Chicago White Sox.
He spent about 15 minutes inside, guided by Muslim dignitaries who walked him through the architectural and spiritual significance of the space. An AFP correspondent noted that a stray crow circled above the group beneath the massive domes, cawing as it attempted to find an exit.
According to Askin Tunca, the mosque’s muezzin, the pope’s visit was both deliberate and heartfelt.
“He wanted to see the mosque, he wanted to feel the atmosphere of the mosque, and he was very pleased,” Tunca told reporters.
