Leo visits majestic Blue Mosque in “spirit of listening”

Before crossing the threshold, the pontiff removed his shoes, as is customary in mosques, and walked along the orange carpet in his socks. Guided by muezzin Asgin Tunca, Leo XIV toured the mosque with its six minarets – the only one of its kind – and 21,000 turquoise ceramic tiles inserted into the walls.

A great calm reigned in the hall as the Pope walked through, punctuated by the cawing of a crow sheltering under the dome. Oblivious to the solemnity of the moment, two cats rolled around on the carpet, playing in the light streaming through the 260 small windows that illuminate the monumental room.

The visit, which lasted a quarter of an hour, was "friendly" and the Pope showed his great interest, Asgin Tunca told the press. Asgin Tunca provided the pontiff with historical and religious explanations about the mosque. The delegation stopped in front of the mihrab – a niche that indicates the direction of Mecca – bearing an engraving of Sura 19 of the Quran, which evokes the figure of Mary.

According to the imam, Leo XIV declined an offer to pray in "the house of Allah," preferring instead to simply tour the premises. "He wanted to feel the atmosphere of the mosque," added Asgin Tunca, who emphasised the fraternal nature of the meeting.

However, this decision caused some surprise, as a "brief moment of silent prayer" had been placed in the Vatican itinerary, and was expected by the muezzin. Immediately after the event, the Holy See Press Office issued a statement assuring that "the Pope experienced the visit to the mosque in silence, in a spirit of contemplation and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer."

Leo XIV followed in the footsteps of his predecessors by visiting the Blue Mosque. In 2014, Pope Francis observed a moment of "silent adoration" there. "I felt the need to pray," he told journalists on his return from the trip. "And I prayed: for Turkey, for peace, for the mufti… for everyone… for myself, who needs it… I prayed, truly… And above all, I prayed for peace."

In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI also paused for a few minutes of silent prayer, addressing, in his words, "the one Lord of heaven and earth, the merciful Father of all mankind." His gesture came a few weeks after a heated controversy sparked by a passage in his speech in Regensburg that was interpreted as a criticism of Islam.

At the end of his visit on Saturday, Leo XIV left his hosts with a smile, in a visibly relaxed atmosphere. The Pope then met behind closed doors with the leaders of the Christian Churches, with whom he commemorated the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea the day before, at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem.