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Nicaea
(Iznik)
remained
in
a
leading
role
in
the
pages
of
history
for
thousands
of
years.It
is
a
unique
city
which
hosted
capitals
of
four
empires.Every
piece
of
land
is
steeped
with
the
residue
of
centuries
old
cultures.
Iznik
is
one
of
the
townships
of
the
Province
of
Bursa.
It
is
located
on
the
eastern
bank
of
the
lake
of
the
same
name.
ln
the
tumuli
found
around
Iznik
and
villages
such
as
Karadin,
Çiçekli,
Üğucek
and
Çakırca,
footprints
of
civilizations
can
be
traced
back
to
2500
B.C.
Settlements
established
prior
to
the
migration
of
the
Thracians
in
the
7th
century
B.C.
were
named
“Helikare.”
The
name
Khryseapolis,
meaning
“Golden
City”
is
still
visible
on
gold
coins
minted
in
the
ancient
city
during
this
period.
The
city
was
reconstructed
by
one
of
Alexander
the
Great’s
generals,
Antigonos
in
316
B.C.
and
named
after
him
as
“Antigoneia.”
However,
in
301
B.C
hostilities
between
two
generals
of
Alexander
the
Great
resulted
in
war.
Antigonos
was
defeated
by
Lysimakhos
and
lost
his
life.
Now
the
master
of
the
city,
Lysimakhos
named
the
city
“
Nicaea
”
after
his
wife,
who
was
the
beautiful
daughter
of
Antipatros.
Yet,
between
the
years
278
and
277
B.C.
Galatian
raids
damaged
the
city.
Upon
the
death
of
Nikomedes
III
in
74
B.C.,
the
city
became
a
part
of
the
Roman
Empire
as
was
his
last
wish
on
his
deathbed.
Subsequently
Nicaea
went
on
to
become
one
of
the
most
important
cities
of
Roman
Empire,
and
there
was
competition
between
Nikomedia
(Izmit)
and
Nicaea
over
which
one
was
to
become
the
Capital
of
the
State.During
the
era
of
Emperor
Traianus
(98-117
B.C.)
the
governor
of
Bithynia
(proconsul)
Plinius
completed
the
construction
of
the
theatre
which
had
been
ongoing
for
a
Iong
time.
The
city
was
demolished
by
an
earthquake
in
123
B.C.,
and
was
rebuilt
by
the
order
of
Emperor
Hadrianus.
In
259
A.D.
disaster
struck,
Goths
invaded
and
left
the
city
in
ruins.
This
time
Emperor
Cladius
Gothicus
was
the
person
to
order
the
renovation
of
Nicaea
.
In
the
period
of
Emperor
Constantinus’s
rule,
Christianity
was
introduced
to
the
region
by
the
Bithynian
apostle
Petrus..The
summer
of
325
A.D.
witnessed
an
important
event
in
the
history
of
Christendom
when
the
First
Council
met
in
the
Senate
Palace
under
the
chairmanship
of
Emperor
Constantinus.
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There
were
two
main
issues
discussed
during
this
momentous
meeting.
First,
it
was
discussed
that
Christ
was
a
humble
human
being,
not
the
son
of
the
Almighty.
This
thesis
was
supported
by
Arius;
a
theologian
from
Alexandria
and
found
considerable
support
though
most
bishops
disagreed
with
this
conjecture.
There
followed
projected
discussions
dealing
with
the
dissertation
of
Christ
being
the
son
of
the
Divinity.
This
latter
theory
being
adopted
as
church
dogma.
The
dates
of
the
Christian
festivals
and
the
20-article
text
known
as
Nicaean
Creed
were
put
into
application
after
this
Council
meeting.
Earthquakes
struck
in
the
years
358,
362
and
368
A.D.
respectively,
and
ruined
many
of
the
monumental
structures.
Emperor
Valentinianus
of
Byzantine
gave
the
title
of
Metropolis
to
Nicaea
in
the
year
364
A.D.
In
the
7th
century,
Arab
armies
on
their
way
to
Constantinople
besieged
Nicaea
.
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Emperor
Leon
III.
and
Constantinius
V.
utilised
the
stone
from
the
theatre
to
strengthen
the
city
walls
and
Arab
troops
were
defeated
at
Akronion,
saving
Nicaea
from
invasion.
The
7th
Council
took
place
in
the
Nicaea
Hagia
Sofia
Church
in
787
A.D.and
was
led
by
Empress
Irene,
who
put
an
end
to
the
Iconoclastic
Era
lifting
the
ban
imposed
on
the
painting
and
sculpting
of
sacred
images.
The
rebellious
commander
of
Michael
VI.
Komnenos
attacked
Iznik
in
1056,
and
later
went
on
to
invade
Constantinople
.
Earthquakes
caused
heavy
damage
in
Nicaea
in
the
years
1063
and
1065
AD.
In
the
year
1071
after
the
Battle
of
Malazgirt
Selçuk
Süleyman
Shah
became
the
commander
of
the
city.
The
territory
was
ruled
by
the
Selçuks
and
Iznik
became
the
capital
once
again.
The
First
Crusaders,
commanded
by
Godfrey
de
Bouillon,
attacked
the
city
in
1097.
The
battle,
which
was
supported
by
the
Byzantines,
lasted
37
days
with
the
Selçuks
being
forced
to
vacate
the
city
on
June
26th,
1097
.
In
1204,
the
4th
Crusade
captured
the
Constantinople
administration
which
was
at
that
time
the
capital
of
Byzantium
.
Iznik
became
the
possession
of
“Louis
de
Blois.”
However,
Emperor
Teodoros
I,
who
was
expelled
from
Constantinople
,
attacked
him
and
the
Crusaders
and
once
again,
Iznik
was
became
a
capital,
this
time
the
capital
city
of
Byzantium
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The
city
walls
was
erected
by
Dukas
Vatatzes
between
the
years
1222-54.
On
March
2nd,
1331
Orhan
Gazi
directed
his
Ottoman
troops
to
enter
the
city
from
the
Yenişehir
Gate
after
a
prolonged
siege.In
1402.Tamer-
lane’s
army,
which
was
marching
west,
invaded
Ottoman
territories
following
Yıldırım
Bayezid’s
defeat
during
the
battle
of
Ankara
.Iznik
was
devastated
once
more.
During
the
reign
of
the
Ottomans,Iznik
was
the
heart
of
fine
arts,
culture
and
trade.
Most
eminent
scientists
and
theologists
lectured
at
Orhangazi
Medresesi
(
School
of
Theology
).
Philosophers
Davud-u
Kayseri
,
Ebul
Fadıl
Musa,
Eşrefoğlu
Abdullah
Rumi
chose
to
settle
in
Iznik
where
they
spread
their
creative
genius.
Iznik
is
known
as
the
city
where
the
first
Ottoman
mosque,
university
and
cultivation
were
built.
During
the
l4th
and
l5th
centuries,
the
Çandarlı
family
of
the
Grand
Vizier
of
the
Ottoman
Empire
,
brought
prosperity
to
the
city.
Iznik
was
renown
throughout
the
old
world
for
its
enamel
ware
and
ceramics
during
the
l6th
century.
The
17th
and
18th
centuries
were
the
times
when
Iznik
somehow
drifted
away
from
the
fair
winds
of
the
past,
losing
its
importance
The
Byzantium
and
Islam-Arab
waves
following
the
Roman
Empire
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When
the
Byzantium
Empire
was
founded,
Nicaea
became
the
administrative
centre
of
Thema
of
Opsikion
in
North-West
Anatolia
and
preserved
this
feature
during
the
Byzantium
period.After
the
birth
of
Islam,
the
Islamic-Arab
armies
began
to
threaten
Byzantium
,and
Nicaea
,a
city
on
the
Silk
road
,became
more
important
Islamic-Arab
armies
in
717
besieged
Nikaea
for
the
first
time.
After
727,the
armies
continued
to
besiege
the
city
every
year.But
in
740,Byzantium
overcame
the
Arab
armies
and
the
Islamic-Arab
pressure
disappeared
for
a
time.
At
the
end
of
the
8th
century,
the
struggles
between
the
two
sides
again
increased
.
During
this
century,
the
city
resisted
the
waves
of
İslamic-Arab
armies
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The
oldest
living
Ionian
city
|
Inheritors
of
Alexander
the
Great
battled
with
each
other
to
bring
the
Empire
under
their
sovereignty.
Antigonia
ruled
for
only
for
15
years.When
Lysimakhthalmos
won
the
“Hypsos
War”
in
301
BC.
he
captured
the
city.
He
repaired
and
rebuilt
it
and
according
to
the
traditions
of
the
time
he
changed
the
name
of
the
city
from
Antigonia
to
Nicaea
after
his
beloved
wife’s
name
Nike.
This
name
means
“country
of
victory”.
This
historical
process
might
have
been
true
or
false,
it
is
difficult
to
know.
But
recent
archaeological
excavations
have
shown
that
near
Lake
Iznik
there
was
an
ancient
settlement,
which
is
thought
to
belonged
to
the
Early
Bronze
Age.
According
to
Homer’s
Iliad
there
was
an
ancient
city
on
the
site
of
İznik
or
around
İznik
in
1250
BC.Consequently,
it
can
be
said
that
first
Antigoneia,
then
Nicaea
was
founded
on
ancient
lonian
city
ruins.
Thus
today,
İznik
is
one
of
the
places
that
reflect
the
characteristic
features
of
the
ancient
Ionian
style.
The
city
is
built
around
two
main
crossroads.
One
of
the
main
road,
lies
on
the
north-south
axis
of
the
İstanbul
Gate
and
Yenişehir
Gate;
the
other
main-road,
lying
on
the
east-west
axis
goes
to
the
Lefke
and
the
Lake
Gates
.
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Just
like
an
epic |
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According
to
Strabon
(BC.
65—AD.23),
the
famous
geographer
of
the
ancient
times,İznik
was
founded
in
BC.316
by
Antigonos
Monophthalmos(Single
Eye),
one
of
the
commanders
who
battled
to
gain
the
inheritance
of
Alexander
the
Great.
In
accordance
with
the
traditions
of
that
age,
İznik
was
named
"Antigoneia"
after
its
founder
Antigonos.
But
this
knowledge
is
doubtful,because
before
Alexander
the
Great
and
Antigonos,
Homer
(
BC
9.
century),the
epic
poet
mentioned
the
Askanian
combatant,
who
supported
the
defence
of
Troia
against
the
first
imperialists
of
the
history.
In
the
Ancient
Age,Ascania
Limne
was
the
name
of
Lake
İznik
.
Ascania
mighthave
been
todays
İznik
or
a
place
around
İznik.The
district
from
Gölayağı
to
Kios(today's
Gemlik)was
known
as
Ascanios.Briefly
Antigoneia
of
Antigonos
might
have
been
founded
on
the
ruins
of
Ascania. |
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