| Page Views: 696 Last Visit to Iznik: June, 2006 | A colorful mosaic of conquests and cultures by Tijavi - last update: Dec 18, 2007 |
| Colorful Iznik tiles reflect town's rich history |
Except probably on summer weekends when Istanbullus descend on Iznik for some cooler lakeside breeze, today's Iznik is a sleepy little corner in Western Anatolia - quite a shadow of its former glory.
Formerly known as Niceae during the Byzantine era, its main claim to fame (to Christians, at least) is its hosting of the first Ecumenical Council where the Nicene Creed - the basic statement of Christian faith shared by most (all?) Christian denominations - was established, in what is now Aya Sofya.
Prior and subsequent to this, Iznik's (or Niceae's) fortunes did have their peaks and troughs with the coming and going of various rulers - from the Greeks to the Romans, the Byzantines, the Crusaders, and finally, the Ottomans -all gifting the town a colorful history.
While Iznik may no longer be well-known for the Nicene Creed, it certainly is famous for its beautiful and colorful tiles, which symbolically reflect that rich and colorful history. |
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| Pros: | "Small, compact, could be finished in half a day." | | Cons: | "Small, compact, could be finished in half a day." | | In A Nutshell: | "Not a very exciting destination, but still worth seeing if you could spare half a day." |
Tijavi's Iznik Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 4 - Photos: 12 | | | Restaurants
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | Hotels & Accommodations | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | Transportation
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 |
 Tijavi's Iznik Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for Tijavi about Iznik | | | | |
Trekki Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:07 UTC
Oh yes, it is always sad to visit museums with explanations only in local language! Aya Sofya looks very picturesque with the plants but it would be good to do some restoring. Ahh... blue magic tiles and ceramic :-) | mvtouring Sun Aug 30, 2009 12:14 UTC
Stunning photo's. Your tips are really good, thanks so much ;-) | toonsarah Sun Dec 2, 2007 10:54 UTC
Beautiful tile work - transported me back to last summer in Uzbekistan :) A shame though that things aren't better preserved. And why would a sultan build his mother a soup kitchen?? | kokoryko Fri Aug 10, 2007 21:53 UTC
Nice into picture; Painted ceramics are special. Yes, craddle of catholicism, it seems there is not a lot left here from that time. Thank you for this short trip to Nicée. |
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