Izznik is one of the "slow cities" in Turkey

Izznik (Ancient Nicaea) is a beautiful lakeside town with beautiful natural scenery and numerous historical monuments. It was once considered the holy City of all Christianity, and its location in Nicaea made it comparable to Jerusalem and the Vatican City.

The famous "Nicene Creed" was born here. The historic First and Seventh Ecumenical Councils were held in Izznik (then Nicaea) in 325 and 787, respectively. Izzn ik is one of eight pilgrimage centers in Turkey.

Here, you can not only visit the Hagia Sophia and the Roman theater, but also experience the ceramic workshop and explore the secrets of the famous Izznik tiles. The Blue Flag beach in Lake Izznik is definitely worth a visit! Here, you can enjoy a full day view of the lake during the day and enjoy local seafood from the lake; Towards evening, we can see an infinitely beautiful sunset.

Iznik is not far from Istanbul, but it can seem a bit anonymous to an exotic visitor. Iznik has a rich history. It was built around 1000 BC. In Roman times, it was an important city in Asia Minor. In 325 AD, Emperor Constantine the Great | held the first Ecumenical Council of Christianity here.

I clearly remember an exam many years ago, and I had written the words "The Council of Nicaea" on the exam paper, and I did not know where "Nicaea" was at that time, let alone thought that I would visit it one day. Yes, Nicaea is Iznik today.

From the 15th to the 17th centuries, Iznik became an important center of brick and pottery in Turkey, and its ceramic tile making process is a unique handicraft tradition in the Ottoman Empire |. After the end of the Ottoman era, Istanbul, the "capital of the world," shone brightly, while Iznik grew dimmer and more anonymous.

I was unprepared to see the ancient city walls and gates. The walls of Iznik were built in Roman times and renovated in Byzantine times. Today, five kilometers of broken walls generously envelops the old city, and all four main gates are damaged and still standing.

Walk down a circle, found the gate or the city wall worth mentioning, basically belong to the state of self-blessing. Walking along the city wall, I saw a middle-aged man secretly drinking beer, hurriedly return to the original way, do not want him to violate the taboo of happiness.

After a Turkish bath that was built about 600 years ago, soon came the museum with a building that is nearly 800 years old. There are also some sarcophagi stone carvings in the open space outside the museum, mostly from the 2nd to 3rd century.

Opposite the museum, the "Green Qing ~ Temple" (Ye il Cami) is very eye-catching. Built around 1378, its minarets are decorated with blue-green glazed tiles that stand out in the sun.

Then come to the Great Church of Saint Sophia |, a once magnificent church of Justinian |. The Seventh Ecumenical Council of Nicaea was held here. Of course, it has long been a Qing temple.

After a quick walk around the inside, the dome is bare. There is still a small piece of the Mosaic floor of the original Kyo| hall. If you look closely, you can still see two mottled murals of Kyodo. It is estimated that in a few years, the mural will be completely unrecognizable.

Leave Hagia Sophia and head east until you reach Lake Iznik, where the nearby "Lake Gate" is almost covered with grass.

Porcelain decorative elements can be seen everywhere in Iznik city, and there are many small shops selling porcelain. Entering a shop, the owner said that the patterns of the China were painted by his wife, and the plates were made by his own hands.

Overcome the "difficulty of choice" to buy a few porcelain plates and decorative porcelain pieces, they will travel thousands of miles to the country whose name means "porcelain".