|
Ancient Nicaea,
now called Iznik, is a farming
town surrounded by massive medieval
walls set on the shore of a broad
lake.
Two
Christian ecumenical councils were
held here, the 1st in 325, and the
7th in 787.
The
ruined Hagia Sophia
Church right at the city center
was the scene of the 7th council.
Iznik's Green
Mosque (Yesil Cami) is a fine Seljuk
Turkish-influenced work. Across
the street is an Ottoman imaret (soup
kitchen) that now houses the city's
good museum.
On
the outskirts is a rare Byzantine underground
tomb (Yeralti Mezar).
The
best way to see Iznik is on the way
from Istanbul to Bursa (map).
Take a fast
catamaran ferry in the morning
from Istanbul's Yenikapi
ferry terminal across
the Sea
of Marmara to Yalova,
then a bus or minibus to Iznik (they
wait right at the ferry dock in Yalova),
and after seeing the walls, mosques
and
churches
of
Iznik, take a minibus to Bursa and
stay overnight.
Distances & Travel
Times
Bursa: 67
km (42 miles) SW, 1.5 hours
Istanbul: fast
ferry to/from Yalova (1
hr); otherwise, 248 km (154 miles)
NW, 4 hours, by road via Sakarya
(Adapazari) and Kocaeli (Izmit).
Sögüt: 72
km (45 miles) SE, 1.5 hours
Yalova: 60
km (37 miles) NW, 1 hour
Sea
of Marmara Region
Maps
of Thrace & Marmara Region
Where
to Go
Seljuk
Turkish Empire
Ottoman
Empire
Turkey
Travel Planner Homepage
|
