At 8.45 (local time), the Holy Father Leo XIV transferred by car to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

On arrival, the Pope was welcomed and accompanied to the Mosque by the Head of the Diyanet, the President for Religious Affairs of Türkiye.

The Pope visited the Mosque in silence, in a spirit of contemplation and listening, with deep respect for the place and the faith of those who gather there in prayer.

At the end of his visit to the mosque, at 9:30, the Holy Father travelled by car to the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem for a private meeting with the heads of the Christian Churches and communities.

On arrival, the Pope was received by the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch and the Metropolitan of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch for the dioceses of Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir. The Patriarch and the Holy Father entered the Church and joined the Christian leaders for a group photograph. The choir then sang a hymn of invocation to the Holy Spirit, and the leaders took their place at the round table. The meeting continued behind closed doors, with short interventions from each leader, followed by an address from the Pontiff. Before leaving the Church, the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch led the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.

At the end of the private meeting, at 11.45, the Pope transferred by car to the Apostolic Delegation.