On the eastern shore of Lake İznik lies a quiet town with an outsized place in Christian history. As Nicaea, it hosted two of the great councils of the early Church, and the words of the creed that bears its name are still recited by many Christian traditions today.
The First Council of Nicaea
In 325 the Emperor Constantine summoned bishops from across the Roman world to Nicaea. The council addressed the dispute over the teaching of Arius on the nature of Christ, and its statement of faith became the basis of the Nicene Creed, later expanded at the Council of Constantinople in 381. The council also discussed how the date of Easter should be set.
In 2025 Christians around the world marked 1,700 years since the council met.
The Second Council of Nicaea
The city hosted a second council in 787, which met in its church of Hagia Sophia and addressed the controversy over the veneration of icons. It is counted as the seventh ecumenical council by both the Orthodox and Catholic churches.
What to see in İznik today
- The city walls and gates: long stretches of the ancient walls survive, with monumental gateways leading into the town.
- Hagia Sophia of Nicaea: the church where the second council met, at the centre of the town.
- The lakeside basilica: the remains of an early basilica lie beneath the waters close to the shore, discovered in 2014.
- İznik tiles: the town was the centre of Ottoman tile-making, and workshops continue the craft today.
Planning a visit
İznik is within reach of Istanbul as a day visit or an overnight stay, and it combines well with a wider Christian heritage journey through Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus.
