Nicaea is an ancient Greek city in the northwestern Anatolian region of Bithynia, now the modern Turkish city of İznik. It is most notable as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea. The city was founded by Antigonus I Monophthalmus, one of Alexander the Great‘s generals, around 316 BC and initially served as a strategic military outpost. Over time, Nicaea evolved into a prominent cultural and economic centre within the Bithynian Kingdom. Its location on the eastern shore of Lake Ascanius (modern-day Lake İznik) provided both strategic advantages and fertile land, which contributed to the city’s prosperity. Hadrian took an active interest in Nicaea, visiting the city in the aftermath of an earthquake in AD 120. The city was the hometown of the Greek astronomer Hipparchus and Roman historian Cassius Dio.

Coordinates: 40° 25′ 44.4″ N, 29° 43′ 10.2″ E

Nicaea is said to have been colonised by Bottiaeans from Central Macedon, who had named the city Helikore, but the Mysians subsequently destroyed the first colony. In the wake of Alexander the Great’s death, Nicaea was rebuilt by the Macedonian king Antigonus I, who named the city Antigoneia after himself. Shortly after that, in 301 BC, after the battle of Ipsus, Lysimachus conquered the town and changed its name to Nikaea in honour of his wife. In 281 BC, the area gained independence from the Seleucids, and Nicaea came under the control of the local dynasty of the kings of Bithynia. Gradually, the Romans extended their control in the region, and in 74 BC, the last Bithynian ruler bequeathed his province to Roman authority.

Nicaea became particularly significant during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The city played a pivotal role in the Hellenistic wars and was later incorporated into the Roman Empire in 74 BC. Under Roman rule, Nicaea flourished as a hub for trade and commerce, benefiting from its proximity to major trade routes. It gained prominence as a key administrative and religious centre, hosting important imperial conferences and councils.

Iznik’s central square with the clocktower (İznik saat kulesi) presiding over the town crossroads next to Hagia Sophia.

As Strabo records (Strab. 12.4), the town was built as a square measuring 16 stadia in circumference (approx. 700 sq. km). The city’s streets were planned using the Hippodamian system, with all intersections at right angles. This system is still visible in Iznik’s modern street layout. The city had two main streets leading to four gates that were visible from a fixed stone located at the centre of the gymnasium, which stood at the heart of the town. During the Hellenistic Period, Nicaea had a smaller ring of walls, as noted by Strabo. The Hellenistic walls fell into disuse and disappeared in the Roman period. Instead, freestanding triumphal arches were built under Vespasian at the ends of Nicaea’s main streets. After the Goths threatened the region in the late 3rd century AD, the city walls were reconstructed. These walls formed an irregular pentagon around 5 km long, as seen on the reverses of bronze coins minted under the emperors Valerian and Gallienus.

Nicaea was embellished under Augustus to the point of contending with Nicomedia for the seat of the provincial governor. A temple dedicated to Roma (the personification of the city of Rome) and Julius Caesar was erected. Furthermore, in this same period, the koinon of Bithynia instituted agonistic games in Nicaea, held every four years in honour of the Emperor.

Caesar, meanwhile, besides attending to the general business, gave permission for the dedication of sacred precincts in Ephesus and in Nicaea to Rome and to Caesar, his father, whom he named the hero Julius. These cities had at that time attained chief place in Asia and in Bithynia respectively. Dio 51.20.6

During the Flavian period (after AD 70), four new monumental gates (north, east, west and south) were built from local marble and dedicated by the Bithynian proconsul. They honoured Vespasian and his son Titus and “the first city of the province, Nicaea”. Each gate had an arched central passage flanked by two minor rectangular gateways. They were embellished with statues in the niches on either side of the archway and perhaps over the gates. Later, in the 3rd century AD, as part of a re-fortification project, the walls were raised, and the gates were entirely rebuilt with a new brick superstructure and towers.

Pliny the Younger, governor of Pontus and Bithynia under Trajan, played a significant role in developing and expanding the city of Nicaea. During his tenure, he corresponded with Trajan on the state of public works in the city. Pliny reported on the progress of various unfinished buildings, including the theatre and the gymnasium (Plin. Epist. 10.39).

Nicaea experienced a devastating earthquake in AD 120 that caused extensive damage. Hadrian contributed to the city’s rebuilding by providing it with new colonnaded streets and a market and repairing the city walls on a much larger scale. In honour of his benefactions and his visit in 124, Nicaea’s northern and eastern gates would be rededicated to Hadrian (IK Iznik 29). Another inscription (AE 1939, 293) indicates that Hadrian was the dedicatee of the Nicaea aqueduct and that he enforced strict land-use regulations around the aqueduct. Under Hadrian, Nicaea became neokoros for the first time and was awarded the title metropolis, as evidenced by the long dedication to Hadrian on both sides of the gates’ architrave.

After an earthquake had happened, Nicomedia lay in ruins, and many things were overturned in the city of Nicaea: for the reconstruction of which, Hadrian generously gave funds from the public treasury. Jerome, Chronicle 180

Reconstruction of the Lefke Gate (East).

The city’s historical significance reached a zenith in AD 325 when it hosted the First Council of Nicaea, convened by Constantine the Great. This ecumenical council aimed to address theological disputes within Christianity and led to the formulation of the Nicene Creed, a seminal statement of Christian faith. The impact of this council resonates through the annals of Christianity, solidifying Nicaea’s place in religious history. Another important council was held in AD 787 to deal with the iconoclastic controversy. This would be known as the Second Council of Nicaea and the Seventh Ecumenical Council.

The Byzantines further fortified the city, leaving remnants of defensive walls and structures that testify to its strategic importance. However, the city faced a number of destructive earthquakes over time. In AD 740, a powerful earthquake caused significant damage to Nicaea, leading Emperor Constantine V (r. AD 741–775) to initiate extensive reconstruction projects in Nicaea and throughout the region.

After the sacking of the Byzantine capital of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, Nicaea became the capital of the Empire of Nicaea and the Patriarchate’s seat until the collapse of the Latin Empire in 1261. Nicaea fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. Renamed Iznik, the town gained worldwide renown as the centre of ceramic tiles and pottery production, one of the most beautiful and enduring types of Turkish-Islamic art (see here). Iznik tiles are a type of ceramic tile that has been used in architectural applications for private residences since the late 15th century. These tiles are known for their beautiful and intricate designs and patterns, often featuring blue and white floral or geometric motifs.

A map indicating the division of the Byzantine Empire following the sack of Constantinople in 1204 CE during the Fourth Crusade.
Author: LatinEmpire (Wikimedia)

Despite facing seismic events, İznik’s ancient structures, such as the city walls, which are among the best-preserved fortifications of Anatolia, a theatre, and the Hagia Sophia, which housed the Second Council of Nicaea, still stand today. These remnants offer a testament to the city’s inhabitants’ resilience and the natural forces that have had an impact on its historical landscape.

Excavation and restoration works in Pliny’s theatre have been carried out by Dokuz Eylül University’s archaeology department since 2016. The theatre, which is the only one in Turkey that rises on vaults in a flat area, has a seating capacity of approximately 10,000 spectators. During the reign of Hadrian, two-story columned galleries were constructed on both sides of the stage building, independent of the theatre. The galleries of the second floor were decorated with statue herms standing between the columns and parapets. The theatre was used for gladiatorial games, as evidenced by the sword-shield relief on the analemma wall and the gladiator oil lamps found during excavations. Further excavations have revealed that the theatre was later transformed into a mass graveyard in the 13th century. During the Ottoman period, ceramic kilns were discovered within the ancient building, and its stones were used as construction materials, particularly in rebuilding the city walls during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

The Roman Theatre of Nicaea.
www.gotobursa.com.tr

In 2014, while the lake was at a low level during a seasonal drought, the remains of a basilica church were discovered just outside the city walls, approximately 50 metres from the shore. This basilica is believed to have been built in memory of Saint Neophytos, who was killed during the Christian persecution led by Diocletian. It is possible, according to researchers, that the basilica was built as a result of the First Council of Nicaea, convened by Constantine the Great in the year 325. The basilica became submerged after an earthquake in AD 740. The discovery of the basilica was included in the list of top 10 archaeological discoveries of 2014 by the Archaeological Institute of America.

Nicaea is well-known for its necropolises that surround the city. The Hisardere Necropolis is one such necropolis situated 2.4 km from the city centre on a 10,400 m2 land that includes vineyards and olive groves. The area has been subjected to rescue excavations, revealing numerous sarcophagi and terracotta cist burial chambers, including the Sarcophagus of Gregorios, the Sarcophagus of Achilles, the Sarcophagus of Antigonus and the Sarcophagus of Nike and Eros. These sarcophagi can be viewed at the new Iznik Archaeological Museum.

The sarcophagi room of the new Iznik Archaeological Museum.

Just outside Nicaea, along the ancient road to Nicomedia, stands the funeral monument of Gaius Cassius Philiscus, a wealthy landowner from Nicaea who died at the age of 83. Another funeral monument can be seen north of Iznik, where 17 pieces belonging to a burial chamber made of basalt rock known as “Berber Rock” by the locals are scattered on a slope close to the district’s Lefke Gate. The tomb dates back to the Bithynia civilisation in 149 BC. In 1990, a beautiful relief of Hercules was discovered in an ancient stone quarry known as Deliktas, just outside of Iznik. his relief may be related to the mythological foundation of Nicaea, as the hero Herakles is said to have founded the city.

İznik is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tentative List.

PORTFOLIO

Lake Ascanius (Lake Iznik)

Nicaea was located at the eastern shores of the lake Ascanius in a fertile basin. The lake is around 32 km in length and 10 km in width, with a maximum depth of about 80 m.

In Greek mythology, during the Trojan War, the region by Lake İznik was held by the Phrygians, who sent troops to the aid of King Priam, led by the brothers Phorcys and Ascanius, sons of Aretaon as related in the Iliad.

The Gates and City Walls

The Istanbul Gate (northern gate), with the Flavian arch, was integrated into Nicaea’s Byzantine fortifications. The gate connected the city to the Nicomedia and Byzantium/Constantinople road.

The Northern (Istanbul) Gate originally consisted of a simple gate with an arched central passage flanked by two rectangular minor gateways, built by Bithynian Proconsul Marcus Plancius Varus during Vespasian’s reign in the second half of the 1st century AD with financial support from Gaius Cassius Chrestos of Nicaea. The arch was built from local marble.

The northern arch was repaired and renovated with financial support from Hadrian following the earthquake of AD 120.

The imperial arch was incorporated into the city gates and walls, built in the 3rd century AD under the reign of **Gallienus** (r. 253-268) and completed under Claudius Gothicus (r. 268-270) when the region was threatened by the Goths. The present inner wall dates back to this latter phase, although it has undergone many restorations and rebuilding following earthquakes and sieges up to the 11th century.

During the reign of John III Doukas Vatatzes, Emperor of Nicaea from 1221 to 1254, the walls were strengthened with a second circle, concentric to the former, in an arrangement that was inspired by the Theodosian walls of Constantinople.

The Lascarid (13th century AD) outer wall of the Northern (Istanbul) Gate (northern gate) is faced with spolia ( re-used stones from Roman sarcophagi). The second entrance gate is decorated with two marble masks,
recovered from the Roman theatre of the city.

Lake (Göl) Gate with portions of walls still visible.

Lake (Göl) Gate with portions of the towers still standing.

The Eastern (Lefke) Gate, as seen from the outside, with a series of three gates. It marked the main road to Ancyra and Central Anatolia.

The Flavian arch was integrated into Nicaea’s Byzantine fortifications. It was built by the Bithynian proconsul Marcus Plancius Varus during Vespasian’s reign. The arch has two similar inscriptions dedicated to Vespasian and Hadrian on each side of the city gate.

The original bronze letters are lost, but the inscription over the east (Lefke) gate can still be deciphered. The inscription of gratitude to Hadrian for rebuilding the gate after the earthquake (IK Iznik 1) is the lower one on the architrave.

The Eastern (Lefke) Gate, as seen from the inside. It marked the entrance to Nicaea from the east. The gate consists of a triple entrance system, as in the Istanbul Gate, which includes the Roman triumphal arch.

The arch was embellished with statues standing in the niches.

The 13th-century AD outer walls of the Eastern (Lefke) Gate twin towers flanking the gate and displaying an extensive use of spolia.

Right next to the Lefke Gate are the ruins of the Roman aqueduct, restored and repaired many times over the centuries and then filled and converted into walls.

The aqueduct’s total length continuously visible on the field amounts to about 1.5 km. The aqueduct was originally built using a framework of terracottas and limestone rubble.

The building visible today was built during the reign of Hadrian and restored at the time of Justinian, according to Procopius (De aedificiis, V, 3). Restorations were also done by Theodore I Lascaris (1205–1222) in the 13th century.

The Southern (Yenisehir) Gate, with a Roman arch dating to the Flavian era, was the south entrance gate of Nicaea, on the road connecting the city to the other cities in Bithynia (Prusa ad Olympus and Apameia).

The function of the Yenişehir Gate changed after this period ended upon the invasion of the Goths. The imperial arch was united with the fortification walls built in the 3rd century AD and was converted into a defence structure.

A second fortification line was built in front of the existing wall line to strengthen the defence structures in the 13th century. A tower was built on both sides of the gate.

The 5km-meter-long city walls had 12 secondary gates and 114 towers, about 60-70 metres apart.

The Roman Theatre

Located in the southwest part of the city between the lake and Yenişehir Gate, the theatre was largely built on vaulted substructures in opus caementicium and was faced with marble.

The word-shield relief on the analemma wall of the theatre shows that gladiatorial games were held in the theatre in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

The Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia was demolished after an earthquake in the 11th century. The church was rebuilt as a basilica with three naves. The church is still located where the roads leading to the four main gates in the district centre meet.

The Beştaş Obelisk

Outside Nicaea, on the ancient road to Nicomedia, rises the funeral monument of Gaius Cassius Philiscus, a wealthy Nicaean landowner who died at the age of 83. The obelisk, triangular in section, is 12 m tall and is placed on a rectangular base.

Stone relief of Hercules

The unfinished relief of Hercules was carved into a stone block in a quarry outside of Nicaea in the 3rd century AD.

The relief is life-size and is placed inside a niche cut into the rock. However, the details were left untreated, and the surface was not polished, showing it was unfinished. It is believed that the relief was carved to protect the quarry workers.

Basilica of Saint Neophytos

Berber Kaya

The funeral monument was carved from a single piece of basalt rock.

Links:

The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites: NICAEA (Iznik)
Stefanidou, Vera (2003). “Nicaea (Antiquity)“. Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Foundation of the Hellenic World.

January 22, 2024May 6, 2024 by followinghadrian Categories: Bithynia 1 Comment