President Obama Official In Istanbul on April 7, 2009 | President Obama Official Schedule and Guidance

Posted by gondrong on 7 April, 2009

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President Obama official schedule and guidance on 7 April 2009, In Istanbul – Turkey. The President will meet with religious leaders in Istanbul tomorrow morning. Following the meeting, he will tour the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque with Prime Minister Erdogan. The Hagia Sophia, or Aya Sofya was formerly a basilica, then a mosque, and now a museum that is considered an embodiment of Byzantine architecture. Completed in 537, it was the world’s largest religious monument until 1520.

President Obama

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is one of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks and is the national mosque of Turkey. It is located in the heart of old town, facing the Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616 in Sultanahmet Square. It is called the Blue Mosque because of the thousands of hand-painted Iznik tiles that adorn its interior.

In the afternoon, the President will hold a town hall with students at the Tophane Cultural Center. Later in the afternoon, President Obama will depart Istanbul for Washington, DC, returning in the evening. The arrival on the South Lawn is open press.