Pope Francis arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, the second day of his visit to Turkey, and toured a number of Christian and Islamic landmarks.
Upon his arrival at Sultanahmet Mosque (known also as the Blue Mosque), he was welcomed by Grand Mufti of Istanbul Rahmi Yaran and a number of Turkish religious leaders, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
He also toured the nearby Ayasofya Museum which is very important for both Christians and Muslims.
Built in A.D. 360 as the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Constantinople, Ayasofia (known also as Hagia Sophia) turned into a mosque after the Ottomans conquest of the city in 1453; it became a museum in 1935.
Pope Francis met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs Mehmet Gormez yesterday amid tight security measures