Pope Francis Prays In Istanbul Mosque In New Outreach

Pope Francis has taken part in a Muslim prayer alongside the Grand Mufti of Istanbul on the second leg of his three-day visit to Turkey. Francis stood on Saturday morning with his head bowed and hands clasped in front of him in a two minutes of silent prayer inside the 17th-century Sultan Ahmet mosque, aiming to show respect for Islam and encourage stronger ties between the two faiths.

"May God accept it," Rahmi Yaran, the Grand Mufti of Istanbul told the pope at the end of the prayer.

A group of school children waving Turkish and Vatican flags chanted "Long live Pope Francis" as the pope cheerfully left the mosque. More photos below.

Turkey Banning ‘Game of Thrones’ As A Way To ‘Protect’ Students

Peter Dinklage | HBO

MICHELLE GESLANI  | Uproxx
Military academies in Turkey will soon have to say goodbye to The Starks and Lannisters. That’s because the country’s armed forces has banned HBO’s Game of Thrones in an effort to provide “protection of students.”

According to local paper Hurriyet Daily News, the harsh ruling is part of a new set of regulations which looks to prohibit programs that show “sexual exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, abuse, harassment and all negative behaviors.”