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Nicaea, also known as Nicea or Nikaia (; ; grc-gre,
Νίκαια, ) was an ancient Greek city in
Bithynia
Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, ...
,
where located in northwestern
Anatolia and is primarily known as the site of the
First and
Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seventh
Ecumenical councils in the early history of the
Christian Church
In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym for ...
), the
Nicene Creed (which comes from the First Council), and as the capital city of the
Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea or the Nicene Empire is the conventional historiographic name for the largest of the three Byzantine Greek''A Short history of Greece from early times to 1964'' by W. A. Heurtley, H. C. Darby, C. W. Crawley, C. M. Woodhouse ...
following the
Fourth Crusade in 1204, until the recapture of
Constantinople by the Byzantines in 1261.
The ancient city is located within the modern
Turkish city of
İznik
İznik is a town and an administrative district in the Province of Bursa, Turkey. It was historically known as Nicaea ( el, Νίκαια, ''Níkaia''), from which its modern name also derives. The town lies in a fertile basin at the eastern end ...
(whose modern name derives from Nicaea's), and is situated in a fertile basin at the eastern end of
Lake Ascanius, bounded by ranges of hills to the north and south. It is situated with its west wall rising from the lake itself, providing both protection from siege from that direction, as well as a source of supplies which would be difficult to cut off. The lake is large enough that it could not be blockaded from the land easily, and the city was large enough to make any attempt to reach the harbour from shore-based siege weapons very difficult.
The ancient city is surrounded on all sides by of walls about high. These are in turn surrounded by a double ditch on the land portions, and also included over 100 towers in various locations. Large gates on the three landbound sides of the walls provided the only entrance to the city.
Today, the walls have been pierced in many places for roads, but much of the early work survives; as a result, it is a tourist destination.
History
Early history
The place is said to have been colonized by
Bottiaeans Bottiaeans or ''Bottiaei'' ( Ancient Greek: ) were an ancient people of uncertain origin, living in Central Macedonia. Sometime, during the Archaic period, they were expelled by Macedonians from Bottiaea to Bottike. During the Classical era, th ...
, and to have originally borne the name of Ancore (Ἀγκόρη) or Helicore (Ἑλικόρη), or by soldiers of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
's army who hailed from
Nicaea in
Locris, near
Thermopylae. The later version however was not widespread even in Antiquity. Whatever the truth, the first Greek colony on the site was probably destroyed by the
Mysians, and it fell to
Antigonus I Monophthalmus
Antigonus I Monophthalmus ( grc-gre, Ἀντίγονος Μονόφθαλμος , 'the One-Eyed'; 382 – 301 BC), son of Philip from Elimeia, was a Macedonian Greek nobleman, general, satrap, and king. During the first half of his life he serve ...
, one of Alexander's successors (''
Diadochi'') to refound the city ca. 315 BC as Antigoneia (Ἀντιγονεία) after himself.
Antigonus is also known to have established Bottiaean soldiers in the vicinity, lending credence to the tradition about the city's founding by Bottiaeans. Following Antigonus' defeat and death at the
Battle of Ipsus
The Battle of Ipsus ( grc, Ἱψός) was fought between some of the Diadochi (the successors of Alexander the Great) in 301 BC near the town of Ipsus in Phrygia. Antigonus I Monophthalmus, the Macedonian ruler of large parts of Asia, and his ...
in 301 BC, the city was captured by
Lysimachus, who renamed it Nicaea (, also
transliterated as Nikaia or Nicæa; see also
List of traditional Greek place names), in tribute to his wife
Nicaea, who had recently died.
Sometime before 280 BC, the city came under the control of the
local dynasty of the kings of
Bithynia
Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, ...
. This marks the beginning of its rise to prominence as a seat of the royal court, as well as of its rivalry with
Nicomedia. The two cities' dispute over which one was the pre-eminent city (signified by the appellation ''
metropolis'') of Bithynia continued for centuries, and the 38th oration of
Dio Chrysostom was expressly composed to settle the dispute.
[''DGRG'']
Nicaea
/ref>
Plutarch mentioned that Menecrates (Μενεκράτης) wrote about the history of the city. In Greek mythology, Nicaea supposedly took its name from Nicaea, a nymph whom the god Dionysus got drunk and raped; he later named the city after her.
Roman period
Along with the rest of Bithynia, Nicaea came under the rule of the Roman Republic in 72 BC. The city remained one of the most important urban centres of Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
throughout the Roman period, and continued its old competition with Nicomedia over pre-eminence and the location of the seat of the Roman governor of Bithynia et Pontus
Bithynia and Pontus ( la, Provincia Bithynia et Pontus, Ancient Greek ) was the name of a province of the Roman Empire on the Black Sea coast of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). It was formed during the late Roman Republic by the amalgamation of th ...
. The geographer Strabo (XII.565 ff.) described the city as built in the typical Hellenistic
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in 3 ...
fashion with great regularity, in the form of a square, measuring 16 stadia
Stadia may refer to:
* One of the plurals of stadium, along with "stadiums"
* The plural of stadion, an ancient Greek unit of distance, which equals to 600 Greek feet (''podes'').
* Stadia (Caria), a town of ancient Caria, now in Turkey
* Stadia ...
in circumference, i.e. approx. or covering an area of some or ; it had four gates, and all its streets intersected one another at right angles in accordance with the Hippodamian plan, so that from a monument in the centre all the four gates could be seen. This monument stood in the gymnasium, which was destroyed by fire but was restored with increased magnificence by Pliny the Younger, when he was governor there in the early 2nd century AD. In his writings Pliny makes frequent mention of Nicaea and its public buildings.
Emperor Hadrian visited the city in 123 AD after it had been severely damaged by an earthquake and began to rebuild it. The new city was enclosed by a polygonal wall of some 5 kilometres in length. Reconstruction was not completed until the 3rd century, and the new set of walls failed to save Nicaea from being sacked by the Goths in 258 AD. The numerous coins of Nicaea which still exist attest the interest taken in the city by the Roman emperors, as well as its attachment to the rulers; many of them commemorate great festivals celebrated there in honor of gods and emperors, as Olympia, Isthmia, Dionysia, Pythia, Commodia, Severia, Philadelphia, etc.
Christian Councils
Christianity became a legal religion of the Roman Empire in the reign of Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterrane ...
(also known as Constantine the Great) by the Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan ( la, Edictum Mediolanense; el, Διάταγμα τῶν Μεδιολάνων, ''Diatagma tōn Mediolanōn'') was the February 313 AD agreement to treat Christians benevolently within the Roman Empire. Frend, W. H. C. ( ...
in 313. Constantine patronized Christianity and supported it by granting privileges, and became the first Roman Emperor to adopt Christianity, but he did not get baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
until before he died in Nicomedia. Constantine laid the groundwork for the majority of the population to become Christians, predominantly, the empire's formal religion in 380.
The Nicene Creed, ( grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας, Sýmbolon tês Nikaías; la, Symbolum Nicaenum; ) which declared Jesus to be God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
, and became the foundation of church doctrine, was adopted at the first Roman Ecumenical Christian council in this city in 325. This council also condemned Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
Christian Arianism
Arianism ( grc-x-koine, Ἀρειανισμός, ) is a Christological doctrine first attributed to Arius (), a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt. Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God ...
, which was later adopted by many barbarian kingdoms
The barbarian kingdoms, also known as the post-Roman kingdoms, the western kingdoms or the early medieval kingdoms, were the states founded by various non-Roman, primarily Germanic, peoples in Western Europe and North Africa following the collap ...
, and led to the destruction of the Western Empire
The Western Roman Empire comprised the western provinces of the Roman Empire at any time during which they were administered by a separate independent Imperial court; in particular, this term is used in historiography to describe the period fr ...
for the century to come.
After shifting the council for four centuries, the Ecumenical Council was held in Nicaea again in 787. This council was called by the Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (emp ...
of the Eastern Empire, Constantine VI
Constantine VI ( gr, Κωνσταντῖνος, ''Kōnstantinos''; 14 January 771 – before 805Cutler & Hollingsworth (1991), pp. 501–502) was Byzantine emperor from 780 to 797. The only child of Emperor Leo IV, Constantine was named co-em ...
, Empress Irene
Irene of Athens ( el, Εἰρήνη, ; 750/756 – 9 August 803), surname Sarantapechaina (), was Byzantine empress consort to Emperor Leo IV from 775 to 780, regent during the childhood of their son Constantine VI from 780 until 790, co-ruler ...
, who later became the first female emperor, and attended by Pope Hadrian I. It addressed the iconoclastic controversy
The Byzantine Iconoclasm ( gr, Εικονομαχία, Eikonomachía, lit=image struggle', 'war on icons) were two periods in the history of the Byzantine Empire when the use of religious images or icons was opposed by religious and imperial ...
and recognized the veneration of Christian images of Jesus and the saints as legitimate. The council also forbade the secular appointment of bishops
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
, thus solidifying the independent authority of the church against that of the state.
Byzantine period
By the 4th century, Nicaea was a large and prosperous city, and a major military and administrative centre. Emperor Constantine the Great convened the First Ecumenical Council there, and the city gave its name to the Nicene Creed. The city remained important in the 4th century, seeing the proclamation of Emperor Valens (364) and the failed rebellion of Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea ( grc-gre, Προκόπιος ὁ Καισαρεύς ''Prokópios ho Kaisareús''; la, Procopius Caesariensis; – after 565) was a prominent late antique Greek scholar from Caesarea Maritima. Accompanying the Roman gener ...
(365). During the same period, the See of Nicaea became independent of Nicomedia and was raised to the status of a metropolitan bishopric. However, the city was hit by two major earthquakes in 363 and 368, and coupled with competition from the newly established capital of the Eastern Empire, Constantinople, it began to decline thereafter. Many of its grand civic buildings began to fall into ruin, and had to be restored in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian I.
The city disappears from sources thereafter and is mentioned again in the early 8th century: in 715, the deposed emperor Anastasios II
Anastasius II ( la, Artemius Anastasius; el, Ἀρτέμιος Ἀναστάσιος, Artémios Anastásios, died 719) was the Byzantine emperor from 713 to 715. During his reign he reversed his predecessor's decision to appoint a Monothelete ...
fled there, and the city successfully resisted attacks by the Umayyad Caliphate in 716
__NOTOC__
Year 716 ( DCCXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 716 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar er ...
and 727. The city was again damaged by the 740 Constantinople earthquake
The 740 Constantinople earthquake took place on 26 October, 740, in the vicinity of Constantinople and the Sea of Marmara. Antonopoulos, 1980
In Constantinople, the earthquake caused the collapse of many public buildings. The Walls of Constantinop ...
, served as the base of the rebellion of Artabasdos
Artavasdos or Artabasdos ( el, or , from Armenian: Արտավազդ, ''Artavazd'', ''Ardavazt''), Latinized as Artabasdus, was a Byzantine general of Armenian descent who seized the throne from June 741 or 742 until November 743, in usurpation ...
in 741/2, and served as the meeting-place of the Seventh Ecumenical Council
The Second Council of Nicaea is recognized as the last of the first seven ecumenical councils by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In addition, it is also recognized as such by the Old Catholics, the Anglican Communion, an ...
, which condemned Byzantine Iconoclasm
The Byzantine Iconoclasm ( gr, Εικονομαχία, Eikonomachía, lit=image struggle', 'war on icons) were two periods in the history of the Byzantine Empire when the use of religious images or icons was opposed by religious and imperial au ...
, in 787 (the council probably met in the basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name t ...
of Hagia Sophia). Nicaea became the capital of the Opsician Theme
The Opsician Theme ( gr, θέμα Ὀψικίου, ''thema Opsikiou'') or simply Opsikion (Greek: , from la, Obsequium) was a Byzantine theme (a military-civilian province) located in northwestern Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Created from the impe ...
in the 8th century and remained a center of administration and trade. A Jewish community is attested in the city in the 10th century. Due to its proximity to Constantinople, the city was contested in the rebellions of the 10th and 11th centuries as a base from which to threaten the capital. It was in the wake of such a rebellion, that of Nikephoros Melissenos
Nikephoros Melissenos ( el, Νικηφόρος Μελισσηνός, – 17 November 1104), Latinized as Nicephorus Melissenus, was a Byzantine general and aristocrat. Of distinguished lineage, he served as a governor and general in the Balkans ...
, that it fell into the hands of Melissenos' Turkish allies in 1081. The Seljuk Turks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
made Nicaea the capital of their possessions in Asia Minor until 1097, when it returned to Byzantine control with the aid of the First Crusade after a one month siege.
The 12th century saw a period of relative stability and prosperity at Nicaea. The Komnenian emperors Alexios, John and Manuel campaigned extensively to strengthen the Byzantine presence in Asia Minor. Major fortifications were constructed across the region, especially by John and Manuel, which helped to protect the city and its fertile hinterland. There were also several military bases and colonies in the area, for example the one at Rhyndakos in Bithynia, where the emperor John spent a year training his troops in preparation for campaigns in southern Asia Minor.
After the fall
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...
of Constantinople to the Fourth Crusade in 1204, and the establishment of the Latin Empire, Nicaea escaped Latin occupation and maintained an autonomous stance. From 1206 on, it became the base of Theodore Laskaris, who in 1208 was crowned emperor there and founded the Empire of Nicaea
The Empire of Nicaea or the Nicene Empire is the conventional historiographic name for the largest of the three Byzantine Greek''A Short history of Greece from early times to 1964'' by W. A. Heurtley, H. C. Darby, C. W. Crawley, C. M. Woodhouse ...
. The Patriarchate of Constantinople, exiled from Constantinople, also took up residence in the city until the recapture of Constantinople in 1261. Although Nicaea was soon abandoned as the primary residence of the Nicene emperors, who favoured Nymphaion and Magnesia on the Maeander
Magnesia or Magnesia on the Maeander ( grc, Μαγνησία ἡ πρὸς Μαιάνδρῳ or ; la, Magnesia ad Maeandrum) was an ancient Greek city in Ionia, considerable in size, at an important location commercially and strategically in ...
, the period was a lively one in the city's history, with "frequent synods, embassies, and imperial weddings and funerals", while the influx of scholars from other parts of the Greek world made it a centre of learning as well.
After the restoration of the Byzantine Empire in 1261, the city once again declined in importance. The neglect of the Asian frontier by Michael VIII Palaiologos provoked a major uprising in 1262, and in 1265, panic broke out when rumours circulated of an imminent Mongol attack. Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos
, image = Andronikos II Palaiologos2.jpg
, caption = Miniature from the manuscript of George Pachymeres' ''Historia''
, succession = Byzantine emperor
, reign = 11 December 1282 –24 May 1328
, coronation = 8 Novembe ...
visited the city in 1290 and took care to restore its defences, but Byzantium proved unable to halt the rise of the nascent Ottoman emirate
The rise of the Ottoman Empire is a period of history that started with the emergence of the Ottoman principality (Osmanlı Beyliği) in , and ended circa 1453. This period witnessed the foundation of a political entity ruled by the Ottoman D ...
in the region. After Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos
, image = Andronikos_III_Palaiologos.jpg
, caption = 14th-century miniature.Stuttgart, Württembergische Landesbibliothek.
, succession = Byzantine emperor
, reign = 24 May 1328 – 15 June 1341
, coronation = ...
and John Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under And ...
were defeated at Pelekanon on 11 June 1329, the Byzantine government could no longer defend Nicaea. Nicaea finally surrendered to the Ottomans after a long siege 2 March 1331.
Ottoman Empire
In 1331, Orhan I
Orhan Ghazi ( ota, اورخان غازی; tr, Orhan Gazi, also spelled Orkhan, 1281 – March 1362) was the second bey of the Ottoman Beylik from 1323/4 to 1362. He was born in Söğüt, as the son of Osman I.
In the early stages of his r ...
captured the city from the Byzantines and for a short period the town became the capital of the expanding Ottoman emirate
The rise of the Ottoman Empire is a period of history that started with the emergence of the Ottoman principality (Osmanlı Beyliği) in , and ended circa 1453. This period witnessed the foundation of a political entity ruled by the Ottoman D ...
. Many of its public buildings were destroyed, and the materials were used by the Ottomans in erecting their mosques and other edifices. The large church of Hagia Sophia in the centre of the town was converted into a mosque and became known as the Orhan Mosque. A madrasa and baths were built nearby. In 1334 Orhan built a mosque and an '' imaret'' (soup kitchen) just outside the Yenişehir gate (Yenişehir Kapısı) on the south side of the town. With the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the town lost a great degree of its importance, but later became a major centre with the creation of a local faïence
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major ad ...
pottery industry in the 17th century.
Ruins
The ancient walls, with their towers and gates, are relatively well preserved. Their circumference is , being at the base from in thickness, and from in height; they contain four large and two small gates. In most places they are formed of alternate courses of Roman tiles and large square stones, joined by a cement of great thickness. In some places columns and other architectural fragments from the ruins of more ancient edifices have been inserted. As with those of Constantinople, the walls seem to have been built in the 4th century. Some of the towers have Greek inscriptions.[Comp. William Martin Leake, ''Asia Minor'', pp. 10, foll.; Von Prokesch-Osten, ''Erinnerungen'', iii. pp. 321,foll.; ]Richard Pococke
Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765)''Notes and Queries'', p. 129. was an English-born churchman, inveterate traveller and travel writer. He was the Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church ...
, ''Journey in Asia Minor'', iii. pp. 181, foll.; Walpole,'Turkey'
Eight_kilometers_from_the_city_there_is_an_ancient,_human-size,_Herakles">,_ii._p._146;_Eckhel,_''Doctr._Num.''_i._pp._423,_foll.;_Rasche,_''Lexic._Rei_Num.''_iii._l._pp._1374,_foll.
Eight_kilometers_from_the_city_there_is_an_ancient,_human-size,_Herakles_relief_engraved_on_a_rock.
The_ruins_of_mosques,_baths,_and_houses,_dispersed_among_the_gardens_and_apartment_buildings_that_now_occupy_a_great_part_of_the_space_within_the_Roman_and_Byzantine_fortifications,_show_that_the_Ottoman-era_town_center,_though_now_less_considerable,_was_once_a_place_of_importance;_but_it_never_was_as_large_as_the_Byzantine_city._It_seems_to_have_been_almost_entirely_constructed_of_the_remains_of_the_Byzantine-era_Nicaea,_the_walls_of_the_ruined_mosques_and_baths_being_full_of_the_fragments_of_ancient_Greek,_Roman,_and_Byzantine_temples_and_churches._In_the_northwestern_parts_of_the_town,_two_moles_extend_into_the_lake_and_form_a_harbour;_but_the_lake_in_this_part_has_much_retreated,_and_left_a_marshy_plain._Outside_the_walls_are_the_remnants_of_an_ancient_aqueduct.
The_Church_of_the_Dormition,_the_principal_Greek_Orthodox_church_in_Nicaea,_was_one_of_the_most_architecturally_important_Byzantine_churches_in_Asia_Minor_
Anatolia,__tr,_Anadolu_Yarımadası),_and_the_Anatolian_plateau,_also_known_as_Asia_Minor,_is_a_large_peninsula_in_Western_Asia_and_the_westernmost_protrusion_of_the__Asian_continent._It_constitutes_the_major_part_of_modern-day_Turkey._The_re_...
._A_domed_church_with_a_cross-shaped_nave_and_elongated_apse,_and_dating_from_the_perhaps_as_early_as_the_end_of_the_6th_century,_its_bema_was_decorated_with_very_fine_mosaics_that_had_been_restored_in_the_9th_century._The_Church_of_the_Dormition_was_destroyed_by_the_Turks_in_1922;_only_the_lower_portions_of_some_of_its_walls_survive_today.
Excavations_are_underway_in_the_Ottoman_kilns_where_the_historic_Nicean_tiles_were_made._The_Hagia_Sophia,_İznik.html" ;"title="Herakles.html" ;"title=", ii. p. 146; Eckhel, ''Doctr. Num.'' i. pp. 423, foll.; Rasche, ''Lexic. Rei Num.'' iii. l. pp. 1374, foll.
Eight kilometers from the city there is an ancient, human-size, Herakles">, ii. p. 146; Eckhel, ''Doctr. Num.'' i. pp. 423, foll.; Rasche, ''Lexic. Rei Num.'' iii. l. pp. 1374, foll.
Eight kilometers from the city there is an ancient, human-size, Herakles relief engraved on a rock.
The ruins of mosques, baths, and houses, dispersed among the gardens and apartment buildings that now occupy a great part of the space within the Roman and Byzantine fortifications, show that the Ottoman-era town center, though now less considerable, was once a place of importance; but it never was as large as the Byzantine city. It seems to have been almost entirely constructed of the remains of the Byzantine-era Nicaea, the walls of the ruined mosques and baths being full of the fragments of ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine temples and churches. In the northwestern parts of the town, two moles extend into the lake and form a harbour; but the lake in this part has much retreated, and left a marshy plain. Outside the walls are the remnants of an ancient aqueduct.
The Church of the Dormition, the principal Greek Orthodox church in Nicaea, was one of the most architecturally important Byzantine churches in
Asia Minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
. A domed church with a cross-shaped nave and elongated apse, and dating from the perhaps as early as the end of the 6th century, its bema was decorated with very fine mosaics that had been restored in the 9th century. The Church of the Dormition was destroyed by the Turks in 1922; only the lower portions of some of its walls survive today.
Excavations are underway in the Ottoman kilns where the historic Nicean tiles were made. The Hagia Sophia, İznik">Hagia Sophia of Nicaea is also undergoing restoration.
See of Nicaea
The bishopric of Nicaea remains as a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church, which has left the seat vacant since the death of its last titular bishop in 1976. It is also a titular metropolitan bishop, metropolitan see of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The incumbent 2001–2010 was the former
Finnish Orthodox Church, Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland, Metropolitan
Johannes (Rinne).
People
*
Hipparchus (2nd century BC) Greek astronomer, geographer, and mathematician
*
Cassius Dio
Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
(AD c.165–c.229), Roman historian
*
Sporus of Nicaea
Sporus of Nicaea ( el, Σπόρος; c. 240 – c. 300) was a Greek mathematician and astronomer, probably from Nicaea, ancient district Bithynia (modern-day Iznik) in province Bursa, in modern-day Turkey.
Much of his work focused on squaring the ...
(c. 240 – c. 300) Greek mathematician and astronomer
*
Georgius Pachymeres
George Pachymeres ( el, Γεώργιος Παχυμέρης, Geórgios Pachyméris; 1242 – 1310) was a Byzantine Greeks, Byzantine Greek historian, philosopher, music theorist and miscellaneous writer.
Biography
Pachymeres was born at İznik, ...
(1242 – c. 1310), Byzantine historian
See also
*
List of ancient Greek cities
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
Sources
*
*
*
External links
Hazlitt, Classical Gazetteer, "Nicæa"* T. Bekker-Nielsen
''Urban Life and Local Politics in Roman Bithynia: The Small World of Dion Chrysostomos''Aarhus, 2008.
* Çetinkaya, Halûk
Four Newly Discovered Churches in Bithynia ''Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art: Collection of articles. Vol. 9.'' Ed: A. V. Zakharova, S. V. Maltseva, E. Iu. Staniukovich-Denisova. Lomonosov Moscow State University/St. Petersburg, NP-Print, 2019, pp. 244–252. ISSN 2312-2129.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicaea
Populated places established in the 4th century BC
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey
Populated places in Bithynia
Populated places of the Byzantine Empire
Crusade places
Catholic titular sees in Asia
Antigonid colonies
Roman towns and cities in Turkey
İznik