The pontiff will travel to Ankara, Istanbul, Ephesus and Izmir during his first visit to a predominantly Muslim country, the Vatican said, outlining for the first time the itinerary of the Nov. 28 to Dec. 1 visit.

The exact program for the visit will be announced later, but the pilgrimage will begin in Ankara, the Turkish capital, and then take the pontiff to Izmir, a city near Ephesus, which is an ancient Christian community, and to Istanbul, seat of the headquarters of the spiritual leader of the world's 200 million Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 21, 2006
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