THE
POPE BENEDICT XVI was in Turkey during Nov 28 - Dec 01,
2006
I Left A Part of My Heart In Istanbul
!!!
This
is the last most memorable words of Pope Benedict XVI who paid a formal visit to
Turkey last week by visiting first
Turkish Capital of Ankara. The pope was welcomed by Turkish PM Recep Tayyip
Erdogan at the Esenboga Airport. Later, he was welcomed by a state
ceremony by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at the Presidential Palace in Cankaya.
Sezer and Pope Benedict XVI discussed ways to enhance mutual understanding and
cooperation, and exchanged views about some regional and international topics
during their meeting. Speaking at the meeting, the Pope said, "
Turkey has always served as a
bridge between East and West, between Asia and Europe, and as a crossroads of cultures and
religions."
Next
day, Pope flew to Aegean city of Izmir and conducted a religious ceremony at the
Virgin Mary Church in Selcuk
town.
Last
day, Pope Benedict XVI visited Istanbul's Haghia
Sophia and the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Cami). Dr. Haluk Dursun, the Curator of
Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Museum), briefed the pontiff on Hagia
Sophia, the remains of the Second Hagia Sophia Church, and the artifacts dating
back to the Ottoman era. Dursun also informed Pope Benedict XVI about the
architectural features and history of the museum. Signing the Museum Protocol
Register, Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “we
come across with monotheism within differences. The God should illuminate us and
help us find the path of love and
peace."
Pope Benedict XVI said, "I hope my visit contributed to peace and dialogue
between religions," before he departed from Turkey on
Friday, ending his first papal visit to a Muslim nation. The pope chatted with
Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler at Ataturk Airport before his departure, thanking
Turkish people and authorities for their hospitality.
"I
could go to two beautiful and precious places in Istanbul; Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I left a part
of my heart in Istanbul," Pope XVI Benedict said
before departing from Turkey.
Tightest Security
Measures
Pope
Benedict XVI guarded with the tightest security measures during his visit to
Turkey. Around 2,000 journalists have
been accredited to cover the visit. A press center has been opened at the Hilton
Hotel for Turkish and foreign
journalists.
Pope Benedict XVI is The 3rd Pope Visiting
Turkey
Pope
Benedict XVI is the third pope visiting Turkey. Pope Paul VI was hosted in
Turkey in 1967, and Pope John
Paul II visited Turkey in 1979. Both Pope Paul VI and
Jean Paul II visited Turkey to participate in Saint
Andreas mass at the Fener Greek Orthodox
Patriarchate.
Haghia
Sophia, a former Eastern Orthodox Church, was converted to a mosque in 1453
during the Ottoman rule, and converted into a museum in 1934 when religious
ceremonies inside it were prohibited.
The
Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a mosque in Istanbul, the
largest city in Turkey and
the capital of the Ottoman Empire from 1453 to
1923. It is regarded as one of the greatest masterpieces of Islamic
architecture. The Mosque is famously known as the "Blue Mosque" for its blue
tiles in its interior. The mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 by order of
the Sultan Ahmed I, after whom it is named. He is buried in the mosque's
precincts. It is located in the oldest part of Istanbul, in what was before 1453 the centre of
Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine
Empire.