AFTER offending the Muslim world by linking their religion with violence, Pope Benedict XVI, in an exceptional gesture, turned towards Mecca in an attitude of Muslim prayer at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul today, Turkish state television showed. Benedict XVI, who became the second Pope in history - after John Paul II in Damascus in 2001 - to set foot in a Muslim house of worship, made the gesture at the suggestion of Istanbul Mufti Mustafa Cagrici, his guide for the occasion. The Pope's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, was quick to point out to journalists afterwards that the Pope had not actually prayed but was "in meditation".

After explaining the basics of Muslim prayer to the pontiff during the early part of the tour, Cagrici said: "Let us turn toward the Kiblah" - the direction of Mecca, which all Muslims must face when they perform their five-time-a-day prayers.

The Pope complied.

The two men, clad in long white robes, stood side by side and immobile for about two minutes, their hands crossed on their stomachs in a classical Muslim prayer attitude known as "the posture of tranquillity".

The Pope remained with his eyes closed for about a minute, but did not repeat Cagrici's gesture when the mufti wiped his face with the palms of both hands, signalling the end of the prayer.

The Pope then pursued his tour of the imposing early-17th century edifice, Istanbul's best known mosque, and exchanged presents with the mufti.

"This picture is meant as a message of fraternity - a souvenir of this visit that I will certainly never forget," the pope said, presenting Cagrici with a mosaic representing doves.

Benedict XVI received an Ottoman calligraphy that read: "In the name of Allah the merciful" - also in the form of a dove.

"A pleasant twist of fate," said the mufti.

The Blue Mosque, known officially as the Sultan Ahmet mosque, opened in 1616 and is the most famous in Turkey.

It got its popular name from the fine blue Iznik tiles in the main prayer room.

It stands in Sultan Ahmet Square in the old centre of Istanbul, opposite the Aya Sofya museum which was once the Christian church Hagia Sophia.

The Pope visited the mosque after a short tour of Aya Sofya.

As he left the mosque after about half an hour, visibly delighted, the 79-year-old pontiff said: "This visit will help us find together the means and paths to peace, for the good of humanity."

Benedict XVI had thrown the Muslim world into turmoil in September when, in a speech in Ravensburg, Germany, he seemed to draw a parallel between Islam and violence.

His four day trip to Turkey that began on Wednesday - his first to a Muslim country - aimed mainly at attempting to heal the 10-century rift between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, but has changed in part into an exercise in fence-mending with Islam.

Published: 1st December 2006 | Source: The Australian