Pope Francis to visit Hagia Sophia in IstanbulOctober 21, 2014 - 16:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Pope Francis will visit sites that recall Turkey's often-tumultuous history at a cultural crossroads between continents and faiths during a three-day visit to the country next month, the Associated Press reports. The Vatican announced Tuesday, Oct 21, that Francis' first stop on the Nov 28-30 trip will be a visit to the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. He will also meet Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The pope travels the next day to Istanbul, where he will visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sophia, a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica that was transformed into an imperial mosque and is now a museum. While in Istanbul, the pope will also say a Mass at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and participate in ecumenical prayers at the Church of St. George and meet with Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | “By Your Side”: IDBank's new support program for displaced Artsakh citizens IDBank is launching a long-term social support program for forcibly displaced Artsakh residents. The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. |