Pope visits iconic religious sites in Istanbul

In this photo made available by Turkey’s Religious Affairs Office, Pope Francis, left, and head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Mehmet Gormez speak during a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Friday, Nov. 28, 2014. Under heavy security measures Pope Francis arrived in Turkey for a three-day visit. (AP Photo/Turkey’s Religious Affairs)

ISTANBUL — Pope Francis visits two of Turkey’s most iconic sites and shifts gears toward more religious affairs as he arrives in Istanbul for the second leg of his three-day visit to the Muslim nation.

The Vatican says Francis will tour Istanbul’s Sultan Ahmet mosque on Saturday and pause for a moment of “reflection.” When Pope Benedict XVI visited Turkey in 2006 amid heightened Christian-Muslim tensions, the Vatican added a stop at the mosque at the last minute in a bid to show his respect for Islam.

The gesture was appreciated by many Turks, and Francis is set to follow in Benedict’s footsteps.

Francis will also visit nearby Haghia Sofia, the Byzantine church-turned-mosque that is now a museum. All eyes will be on whether he prays at the sensitive site.
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