IZNIK
Nature has been lavish to İznik, which is superbly located at the east end of İznik Lake. You can picnic, swim (though the water can be chilly), or rent a kayak or paddleboard, and you can also soak in centuries of antiquity and witness the city’s fabulous tile-making tradition, in full revival today.
A major city in early Christian history, İznik (known in ancient times as Nicaea) was the place of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, which brought up the Nicene Creed that describes the fundamental beliefs of Christianity and set the church’s stance on iconography. The city was put on the map in 316 BC when one of Alexander the Great's officers claimed it. The Seljuks made the city their metropolis for a brief period in the 11th century, and Byzantine emperors-in-exile did the same in the 13th century, when Constantinople was in the fingers of Crusaders. The product of famous İznik tiles, unique even today, was launched not long after the Ottomans captured the city in 1331.
A major city in early Christian history, İznik (known in ancient times as Nicaea) was the place of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, which brought up the Nicene Creed that describes the fundamental beliefs of Christianity and set the church’s stance on iconography. The city was put on the map in 316 BC when one of Alexander the Great's officers claimed it. The Seljuks made the city their metropolis for a brief period in the 11th century, and Byzantine emperors-in-exile did the same in the 13th century, when Constantinople was in the fingers of Crusaders. The product of famous İznik tiles, unique even today, was launched not long after the Ottomans captured the city in 1331.