Photos of Iznik
City of Iznik
City of Iznik (Bursa, Turkey)
Iznik is a historic town in Bursa province on the shore of Lake Iznik, approximately 80 km east of Bursa. In antiquity and the Middle Ages it was known as Nicaea.
It was here that the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 took place - events that influenced the development of Christianity. The town preserves layers of Roman, Byzantine and early Ottoman heritage.
Extensive city walls and several gates have survived to the present day, among them the Lefke and Istanbul gates. Within the walls you can see the ruins of a Roman theater, as well as the Hagia Sophia of Nicaea, now functioning as the Orhan Mosque.
Iznik is known for its ceramics and tiles. Local workshops continue the traditions of Iznik tile, which decorate historic buildings in Istanbul. The town is compact and easy to explore on foot: from the center you can easily reach craft workshops and the lakeside.
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Iznik is a historic town in Bursa province on the shore of Lake Iznik, approximately 80 km east of Bursa. In antiquity and the Middle Ages it was known as Nicaea.
It was here that the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 took place - events that influenced the development of Christianity. The town preserves layers of Roman, Byzantine and early Ottoman heritage.
Extensive city walls and several gates have survived to the present day, among them the Lefke and Istanbul gates. Within the walls you can see the ruins of a Roman theater, as well as the Hagia Sophia of Nicaea, now functioning as the Orhan Mosque.
Iznik is known for its ceramics and tiles. Local workshops continue the traditions of Iznik tile, which decorate historic buildings in Istanbul. The town is compact and easy to explore on foot: from the center you can easily reach craft workshops and the lakeside.
History and traditional ceramics on the lakeshore.
Iznik in one day: ceramics, early Ottoman monuments and the lake
Besides the fortress walls, in Iznik it's worth seeing the 14th-century Green Mosque with its characteristic tiled minaret and the Suleiman Pasha Madrasa from the 1330s - today craft shops operate there. Other early Ottoman buildings have also survived, making it easy to build a short walking route.
Iznik ceramics are the town's calling card. Workshops demonstrate painting on the white body and explain traditional patterns. Historic Iznik tiles decorate the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Rustem Pasha Mosque in Istanbul, and in Iznik you can buy contemporary pieces and watch how they are made.
On the lakeshore there are well-kept promenades and parks for walks and quiet relaxation by the water. In clear weather at the water's edge you can see the underwater ruins of an early Christian basilica discovered by archaeologists in 2014. On the way or nearby it's convenient to stop in Orhangazi on the northwest shore of the lake and in Yenisehir to the southwest, and you can also combine the trip with a visit to Bursa.
How to get there: from Bursa to Iznik there are buses from the bus terminal, the journey takes about 1.5-2 hours, or you can drive via the D595 road through Yenisehir - roughly 80 km.
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