Leo removes shoes but doesn't pray on visit to Istanbul's Blue Mosque

Pope Leo visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque during his first visit to a Muslim place of worship.

The Catholic Leader is continuing his trip in Turkey where he's called for interfaith tolerance and Christian unity.

The Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem welcoming Leo XIV.

The leader of the Roman Catholic going inside to hold private meetings with Turkey's Christian leaders.

A thrust of the trip has been what Leo says is a "desire for full communion among all believers in Jesus Christ,"as he carries out duties the late Pope Francis intended to do before he died earlier this year and Leo was elected.

Leo praying with spiritual leaders of Orthodox Christians ahead of an expected large Mass in a thirty-thousand seat concert venue.

Coming after yesterday's trip to Iznik, the site of a fourth century gathering of early christian leaders where symbolically the Pope joined patriarchs from East and West to pray for unity.

Leo has taken his time. Six months before embarking on his first foreign trip.

Following in the footsteps of his papal predecessors, the pontiff removing his shoes as a sign of respect, guided around Istanbul's iconic Blue Mosque.

He observed the architecture.

Also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, it was constructed more than four hundred years ago.

Leo was expected to observe a "brief silent prayer" but it didn't appear he had.

The imam of the mosque invited Leo to pray, but said the pope declined.

The Vatican later saying Leo's tour was carried out "in a respectful spirit of reflection and listening."

While Christianity is a minority religion in predominantly Sunni Muslim Turkey, Christmas trees were lighting up church courtyards as religious figures say the Pope's visit here is significant.

Father Leonardo, a parish priest from Trabozon said: It's a holy land (Turkey), we say, of the apostles. So it's very important for us and because as the Pope said today we are a little church. So, for us, it's very important and give us a lot of strength.

The pontiff continuing his tour and calls for peace and tolerance in the region on what is his final full day in Turkey.