Pope Benedict, who drew fire from Muslims over his comments on Islam, may make a hastily added stop at Istanbul's Blue Mosque on his trip to Turkey next week.
It will be his first visit to a mosque. His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, made the first visit by a pontiff to a mosque during a trip to Damascus in 2001.
The visit to the mosque is seen as an attempt at reconciliation by Pope Benedict following controversial comments he made about Islam in a speech in his native Germany in September.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the visit to the mosque was 'in the stage of study' and was desired by both sides.
