The police freed Holfon, but Baba did not return to the mosque. He went instead to see a museum, but it was closed.1
As they were driving around, their taxi driver suggested that they might be interested in seeing an old Christian church that had been converted into an Islamic mosque. It was far away, but Baba decided to see it. Most of the Chora Monastery was in a dilapidated condition, but in the main hall, a mosaic of Christ with his twelve apostles was intact. There was also one of Mother Mary with the baby Jesus in her arms.
Afterwards, Baba directed the taxi driver to drive into the slums of Istanbul, populated by the poorest people of the city. Out of his unbounded compassion, Baba walked through a few streets there and then returned to the hotel.
On Sunday, 11 October 1931, while discussing certain matters with Rustom and Chanji, Baba disclosed the purpose of his visit to Turkey:
I have come here on most important work and though I have met no one externally, I am doing a great deal internally. Although it was once great, at present Turkey is a most debased country. In the realm of spirituality, it is today nowhere. Militarily and materially, it has progressed. But it is home to many dishonest and undesirable people. To counter the very strong evil forces working here, a powerful spiritual force is required. And for that reason, I have come in person.
The next day, Chanji went to the office of Thomas Cook travel agents to book their passage to America. Baba did not wish to proceed to America via England, so a different route had to be mapped out. Rustom also booked his passage to Alexandria. Baba was sending him back to India specifically through Egypt on certain work; Rustom left the following morning. Baba was required to go to the Persian and Italian Consulates on the 13th for permission to travel to Italy, and the manager of the hotel, Mr. Blunt, proved most helpful in making arrangements for Baba and his traveling companions.
On the 13th, Baba commented about his spiritual working particularly in regard to the coming war, "The war will be short but most destructive. [?] will be wiped off. I have fixed it up. All will have to suffer, including England. But America will decide the final issue, again. There will be civil war in India."
Footnotes
- 1.The museum Baba went to may have been the Topkapi Palace Museum, which holds relics of the Prophet Muhammad: his robe, foot prints, his bow and hair from his head.