Iznik

Lovely small city with rich history especially with the connection with Council of Nicaea (or some wrote Nicea). I visited Iznik from Istanbul by taking IDO Ferry from Yenikapi to Yalova. From Yalova IDO ferry stop, on the right side from IDO pier there is a bus / minibus terminal where I took dolmus to Iznik. As of April 2021 dolmus Yalova to Iznik costed me 22 Turkish lira about 1 hour-ish drive. The dolmus dropped all passengers in the junction where Aya Sophia Mosque is located.

I explored the city in two days time. I refer to the website of The Byzantine Legacy as my web-guide. The places I visited were: Hagia Sophia, 5 gates (Lefke Gates + Hadrian Aquaduct, Istanbul or Constantinope Gates, Southern Gate, Southwestern Gate, and ruins of Lake Gate), Iznik Museum, Roman Theatre with ruins of "Church B", ruins of "Church C", ruins of "Church of Koimesis and Bocek Hagiasma - actually almost nothing much, Palace of the Senate "Senato Sarayi", and from far distance "underwater" Basilica. All by walking and it's small city. And not to forget to enjoy the view of sun set in Iznik Lake.

The pre-historical name of this city is Nicea. It has been mentioned in films like the Da'Vinci code and various other literature.

It is said to be the place where St.Nicholas visited (walking all the way from Demre) using a roman road which still exists to this day 2000 or so years on. The stepping stones of Cristianity were said to be set here.

IZNIK is the old NICEA - must see this is real history !

What a beautiful little city this place is. It is often hidden from most tourists who are generally lured by the likes of Bursa and Istanbul but I think finding it will be worth the trip. It is not very "touristy" but there are plenty of places to see and experience. First off it is surrounded by nature, olive trees along the mountain side and it obviously sits alongside a beautiful lake. Hagia Sophia/Aya Sofya is a must see while you are there. This is where the Council of Nicaea was help. It has now been turned into a mosque but still open for tourists to come and look. The Yeşil Cami is also worth a visit as it is one of the oldest mosques around. A trip in or around the lake is beautiful with plenty of little restaurants to check out as well. It is a city famous for its tiles so there are a lot of shops that sell well crafted pieces. Currently they are doing some excavations so I have to believe in a couple of more years it will be even a greater trip.

As you're arriving to Bursa from Istanbul by road, Iznik is a very attractive location to be visited and met with the history and culture coming from 4th century BC which is known as Nicaea since ancient periods. 1st Ecumenical Council, a very important event for Christianity, had been gathered in Iznik during the Emperor Constantine time. This town has served as the capital Seljuks and Byzantines and became a centre of art and culture, especially with the world famous tiles and ceramics, after captured by Ottomans commanded Orhan Gaz in 1331. Nilufer Hatun Soup Kitchen (it's the Iznik Museum now), Ayasofya Museum (which was a church dating back to the 4th century) are the must seen historical places in addition to a lot of mosques, tombs, churches, inns and city walls in Iznik. Iznik became an important ceramic production centre between the 15th and 17th century. Floral motifs, human and animal figures with mostly blue, green and red colours are the main characteristics of Iznik tiles.which are on the walls of many palaces and historical buildings in Turkey.

If you go to Istanbul and you'd like a truly Turkish experience, head over to the mainland via the ferry boat. My wife and I went to the Yenikapi ferry terminal and got a ticket for a boat ride to Yalova, which is on the mainland of Turkey. Once on the boat, you'll have spectacular views of Istanbul in the background which are great photo opportunities. Once we got to Yalova, I had a tough time finding the car rental place as not many people spoke English there, and I, the bad American tourist which I am, couldn't speak Turkish except a few words. Finally I found the car rental which was really cheap and headed out (there's only stick shift cars fyi) to Lake Iznik. Its a fairly short drive, about 30 minutes or so to the western edge of the Lake. Looking at a map, I found my way around the lake.

In reading the history of the area, I learned that the Byzantine empire had lived there are planted a number of the olive trees, which I've never in my life seen more of. Surrounding Lake Iznik was the most beautiful array of olive trees, fig trees, grape vines and pomegranate trees I've ever seen. They were literally everywhere. I went to a village named Keramet, which was situated on a hillside. I had some coffee at the local shop and conversed with some of the locals, most of whom still wore very 'old school' traditional Turkish clothing. There's also an awesome natural thermal swimming pool in Keramet which is really awesome. I drove around maybe half the lake, stopping and taking great pictures of the local things and treesvery scenic. I picked figs from the trees and they were the best I'd ever had. The town of Iznik itself is historic in the regard that the Turkish empire created a distinct blue tile which is seen everywhere in Istanbul. Also, in the lake next to Iznik are some ancient Byzantine ruins which are not really visible from the shore but if you're on a boat and it's clear, apparently you can see them.

Really a great place to visit if you're looking for an adventure while in Turkeyand it's safer than the big city for sure.as long as you can drive O.K.

I went to Iznik for my interest in Byzantine and Ottoman history. As ancient Nicaea, it was the site of two important ecumenical councils and an important city of Byzantine Asia, and as Iznik it was the production centre for the most important and celebrated Ottoman ceramics and tiles from the 16th-17th centuries. I visited on a day-trip from Bursa (an easy 1.5 hour dolmus/minibus ride from Bursa's main otogar/bus station).

The small city is nicely situated on the shores of a huge lake. It is surrounded by an interesting set of ancient double walls and has a small number of modest but venerable monuments from Roman to Turkish times.

The walls of the city are the most prominent remains and surround the city on almost every side and are easy to explore on foot given the town's small size. They include some impressive gates incorporating the remains of Roman triumphal arches; one of the best of these is located a very short walk east of the Green Mosque and the city museum.

Another prominent Byzantine monument is the Church of Hagia Sophia (now a mosque but free to visit), nearly barren but still containing some traces of frescoes and other old elements, and impressive for its age (6th century AD) and historical importance (site of the Second Council of Nicaea).

There is also a Roman theatre being still being excavated in the southwest of the city.

"Iznik tiles" can be seen in Topkapi palace and many important mosques in Istanbul and elsewhere. The industry has recently been revived after centuries of obscurity and decline and is now one of the main tourist draws. If you're planning to buy ceramics in Turkey, it's certainly worth at least getting some of the locals to show you the differences in quality of the various types of tiles, as many are also sold in Istanbul's shops.

From Iznik's early Ottoman era, the main monument is the Green Mosque (Yesil Camii, 1391-92 AD), usually only open for prayer times (try to visit right after people finish prayer and leave the mosque). It is fairly small but different from the mosques in Istanbul and Bursa, and features some nice stonework.

Another Turkish building just across from the mosque is the Nilufer Hatun Imaret (1388 AD), a religious complex now used as the city's archeological museum, which unfortunately is closed at the moment (May 2014).

There are other old mosques and Ottoman buildings scattered around the city if you keep your eyes open.

All in all, if you're enthusiastic about ancient history or Ottoman ceramics, this is worth a casual day-trip from a nearby city. As the city is fairly compact, even a half-day is sufficient to see the essentials (i.e. Hagia Sophia, Green Mosque, and at least one of the Roman gates and its nearby walls).

A friend drove me from Istanbul to Iznick for a visit. This place was called Nacaea. 2 Christian ecumenical councils were held in this location: one in 325 AD and the other in 787 AD. The one in 325 AD was, of course, the most important council in the entire history of Christianity in which Jesus was declared God. Of course, this council was as religious as political since it was ordered by the Roman Emperor Constantine. For those who love history, a visit to this small town is a must.

After arriving the modern town, I immediately find that it is a very nice place. A leisurely stroll is both pleasant and rewarding. Just the Aya Sofya where the 787 AD council was held is worth the visit. Like many other Christian churches under the Ottoman Empire, it has become a mosque.

There are a number of areas where the famous Iznik tiles are sold. Great shopping opportunities, I would say, for some souvenir unusual.

İznik is the place where "priceless tiles" of Ottoman palaces and mosques were painted and baked then sent around the Empire. Still you can see hand made iznik tiles and its masters everywhere as streets and roads are full of tiles' shops. This is why, this lovely town is a must see place for travellers who are also interested in traditional arts. But please be careful to choose true iznik tiles as cheap pieces are sometimes ceramics and painters' not always masters (sometimes can be just hobbyists). If you want, you can visit first "Iznik Foundation" (privately held company near the seaside), then "Nilufer Hatun Madrasah" to see some of the high quality iznik tiles. "Iznik Foundation" was closed during my trip so, I have bought three pieces from the Madrasah, two pieces from Mavi Çini and one piece from Lalezar, there were amazing tiles these shops.

Also you can visit Ayasofya (first a church, then a mosque), tiled minaret Yeşil Mosque and "Lefke Gate" of the old city walls as you can shot amazing photos of İznik lake at the golden hour when the sun goes down

If you want to eat local dishes or meatballs you can visit "Kenan Izgara" at the centre of the town while you can eat catfish in "Çamlık Restaurant" at the seaside; both of them are recommended.

Until November 2014, there will be some infrastructure work in the town so streets are little bit dusty and it is hard to drive around. At the same time, restoration works go on in the city as the municipality aims to convert this town to an "open-air living museum".

we enjoyed our trip to Iznik, which is an hour away by dolmus from the otogar. It is a very small town with very interesting Iznik tile shops, where you are spoilt for chose and can see some of the artists at work. Surrounded by the beautiful Lake Iznik.

Iznik (Nicaea) has:

* a beautiful location by a lake

* the place of the first church council (325). The place is not marked, but is probably near the senato sarayı, partly buried in the lake. We went there, looked at the place, imagined what it might have looked like and confessed the creed.

* the place of the seventh church council (787). The place is remade into a mosque (Ayasofia), and is very poorly presented. The site is interesting, though. It is a marked contrast between the Christianity proclaiming that we can have an image (icon) of the eternal reality, and the Islam without images. The church council discussed the eternal reality seen in the concrete icons.

* a roman theater, build by Pliny the younger (Google for "Trajan's rescript")

To go there from Istanbul, consider a ferry to Yalova and bus to Iznik.