Turkish archaeologists are working against the clock to prepare a submerged basilica in Lake İznik, which will be visited by Pope Leo XIV in a few weeks on the occasion of the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, one of the most important milestones in the history of early Christianity. According to historians, this papal visit could consolidate İznik, ancient Nicaea, as an important destination for pilgrimage and religious tourism.
The basilica, discovered in 2014 about 20 metres from the shore of the lake and submerged between 1.5 and 2 metres deep, will be visited by the Pope on his trip to Turkey scheduled between November 28 and 30, Anatolia news agency reported. The basilica, initially built as a chapel dedicated to St Neophytos, was destroyed by an earthquake in 358 and rebuilt after 380 AD. During excavations 37 tombs have been discovered, many of which have been restored and reburied in their original location to maintain their authenticity.
A team of 60 specialists – including archaeologists, anthropologists, restorers and art historians – are currently working to get the site ready for the Pope’s arrival. Measuring 20 by 40 metres, it is the largest church in Iznik, and evidence suggests – according to a theory increasingly accepted by the academic community – that it could be the Church of the Holy Fathers, mentioned in ancient Christian sources but whose existence has so far never been confirmed.
The director of excavations, Mustafa Şahin, recalled that the First Council of Nicaea, held between 20 May and 25 July 325, was “a meeting accepted by all branches of Christianity“, and noted that written texts indicate the existence of a small church in Iznik where the first Christian council was held, which according to research was probably an initial phase of construction of this basilica.
“For Christians, places, spaces and sacred objects are of enormous importance. This site has all three. If after the visit of Pope Leo XIV (for the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea) this church becomes a key pilgrimage point, this place in Turkey could become a new world reference for religious tourism,” Şahin concluded.
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Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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