"He wanted to see the mosque, he wanted to feel the atmosphere of the mosque, and he was very pleased, Askin Tunca, the Blue Mosque's muezzin who calls the faithful to prayer, told reporters."
"Leo undertook the tour in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer."
"It says no exit, Leo said, smiling. Tunca responded: You don't have to go out, you can stay here."
Pope Leo XIV visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque on the third day of his trip to Turkiye, marking the first known visit as pope to a Muslim place of worship. He bowed slightly before entering and was led on a tour by the mosque's imam and the mufti of Istanbul through the complex that can hold about 10,000 worshippers. He walked in white socks, smiled, and joked with the mosque's lead muezzin, Askin Tunca. Tunca said he offered the pope a moment to pray but the pope preferred to simply visit. The Vatican described the tour as undertaken in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and the faith of those who gather there in prayer.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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