VIDEO: Pope Francis in Istanbul for second leg of historic visit

Pope Francis has arrived in Istanbul for the second leg of his three-day visit to Turkey, in a richly-symbolic trip set to include tours of a mosque and the Hagia Sophia, as well as a meeting with the Orthodox patriarch.

The Pope, who was welcomed by Turkish authorities and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Atatürk Airport at 10.29 a.m. on Nov 29, first went to the Sultan Ahmet mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, one of the greatest masterpieces of Ottoman architecture.

When his predecessor Benedict XVI visited the mosque in 2006, he assumed the Muslim attitude of prayer and turned towards Mecca in what many saw as a stunning gesture of reconciliation.

The Vatican later made clear he had not actually prayed in the mosque but was "in meditation". Pope Francis made a similar gesture.

The Pope surprised the journalists who waited for him in front of the Blue Mosque by arriving in with a civilian car that did not carry a license plate. Earlier, it was reported that Turkish authorities had refused the Pope's request for "a humble car" on the grounds of security.

His every gesture will also be scrutinised when he visits the Hagia Sophia Museum, originally built as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the 6th century before being converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453.

Pope Francis' original schedule had listed the Hagia Sophia as the first stop, but it was changed at the last moment.

Later in the day the leader of the world's Roman Catholics will celebrate holy mass at the Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul.

Pope Francis will later offer a prayer at the Orthodox Patriarchal Church of St. George, followed by a private meeting with Greek Orthodox...