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.