Iznik Things to Do Tips by Tijavi

To Christians, Iznik (or more suitably, Nicaea), or more specifically Aya Sofya, is the 'ground zero' of their faith in the sense the Nicene Creed - the declaration that sums up the basic precepts of Christianity - was declared here in AD 325 during the first Ecumenical Council (remember that scene in the movie The Da Vinci Code where priests and bishops debated the Nicene Creed, among others?). One could only imagine that grandeur of this church during those times, particularly during the time of Justinian I (527-65) during whose reign the town reached its peak.

Following the conquest of the Ottomans, Aya Sofya was converted to a mosque, only to be completely razed by fire in the 16h century. Today, the Aya Sofya stands forlorn at the town center, with some of the beautiful mosaic poorly protected from the elements. I met a group of architecture students from Bursa while I was there. I wish they do something about preserving this very historical place of worship.

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Directions: It's in the town center.

Collection was not as extensive as I expected considering the town's rich history. But it wasn't bad either - you get to see lots of intricate sarcophagus from the Roman era as well as authentic Iznik tiles and marble statuary which are scattered all over the museum grounds. Unfortunately, labels are in Turkish only, so little information (if at all) could be deduced from them.

The building itself is interesting, housed in a restored old soup kitchen which was built by a sultan for his mother.

Admission as of June 2006: YTL 2.50 (EUR 1.25)

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First built during the Roman times, and subsequently reinforced during the Byzantine era, the city's walls and gates have been preserved quite well. Most parts still exist and it's possible to visually trace the entire 5-km structure. One of the best place to do this is at the Lefke Gate at the eastern end of Kilicaslan Cad.

The walls are a stark reminder of the town's strategic importance to the various armies that fought for it in ancient times.

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Right in front of the Iznik Museum is Yesil Cami, named after its blue (yesil) color. While not as magnificent as Bursa's Yesil Cami, it's still worth a visit for its intricate green tilework that adorns the minaret, and for the shade provided by the cami from the searing early summer midday sun :-)

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Address: Kilicaslan Caddesi
Directions: From Aya Sofya, walk straight east along Kilicaslan Cad. Yesil Cami is situated in a well-landscaped park in front of the Iznik Museum. It's the mosque with the blue tilework on its minarets.