Pope Leo Makes Historic First Visit to Istanbul's Blue Mosque

Pope Leo XIV has made his first visit to a Muslim place of worship since becoming pontiff, touring Istanbul’s world-famous Blue Mosque on Saturday in a powerful symbol of interfaith dialogue and respect.

Pontiff shown the mosque’s most sacred features

The mosque’s muezzin, Asgin Musa Tunca, who guided the pope through the 17th-century landmark, accompanied Pope Leo inside the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, alongside senior dignitaries including Istanbul’s Mufti Emrullah Tuncel and Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

During the tour, the pope was shown the mosque’s pulpit and the mihrab, the niche indicating the direction of Makkah.
“We explained the mihrab. We explained what we do. Then he asked some questions,” Mr Tunca told The National, adding that the Pope seemed “especially impressed when the mihrab was explained to him.”

A message of unity between Muslims and Christians

The Holy See Press Office said Pope Leo visited the mosque “in a spirit of recollection and attentive listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer.”

The stop marks a significant moment in the Pope’s four-day visit to Turkey — home to 86 million people, the majority of whom are Muslim. Since arriving, he has urged Turkey to embrace diversity and has condemned the use of religion to justify conflict, though he did not mention any specific wars.

The Blue Mosque, commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, is famous for its shimmering blue ceramic tiles and is the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets.

Tight security and quiet crowds

Security around the site was heightened, with police barricading Sultan Ahmed Square, typically bustling with tourists. While no large crowds gathered, a handful of visitors hoped to glimpse the pontiff as he entered.

After spending about 25 minutes at the mosque, Pope Leo continued to a meeting with Christian leaders at a church opened in 2023. His Saturday schedule also includes meeting Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, following their joint prayer on Friday at a historic site in Iznik.

The pope is also set to lead the first public mass in Turkey overseen by a pontiff, held at a stadium in Istanbul with capacity for thousands, before heading next to Lebanon.

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