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Experienced archaeologist tour guide offering custom tours in Turkey.

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The tale of Iznik

Tolun's private Turkey tours Posted on April 22, 2021 by MarielleMay 1, 2021

While driving southwards from Istanbul we stopped by the magnificent Iznik lake with mesmerisingly beautiful blue water. It is not surprising that a long time ago people decided to settle in this gorgeous place and build a city here. The earliest tale of Iznik is a bit unclear. Lysimachus took the the town from Antigonus after winning the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. Then he named this Bithynian town after his wife Nicaea.

In Roman times Nicaea was an important city. In the middle of the town people could see all four gates to the city as the main streets form a cross with end points at the gates and middle point at the city centre. This was a typical Hellenistic way of city planning.

iznik palace
Remains of the Senate’s Court where First Ecumenical Council is thought to be held
First Ecumenical Council

In the 4th century the Emperor Constantine the Great assembled the first Ecumenical Council in Nicaea. He and other leaders of Christianity wanted to bring consensus to the church in the first time of Christianity’s history. Here they wrote the Nicene Creed, a unified declaration and summary of Christian doctrine. We saw the ruins of the Senat’s Court where the council is thought to be gathered at the shore of the lake.

After suffering two earthquakes and the competition from rising power of Constantinople, Nicaea started to lose its significance. Its thick walls, however, and the gates, have largely remained intact to this day. We found the Lefke gate to be especially impressive, with the aqueduct attached to it. In the 2nd century AD the Roman Emperor Hadrian commissioned the aqueduct to be constructed and it has been operational until the 20th century! The walls of the city are very well preserved and they are built in similar manner to Constantinople walls with red bricks and stone.

Recently, in 2014, a sunken basilica near the shore of the lake was discovered. This is a remarkable contribution to the history of Iznik. The church is believed to be built in the late 4th century, but probably the earthquake in 740 AD destroyed it and it sank into the lake. There are plans to create an underwater museum there.

Lefke gate
Lefke Gate and aqueduct in Iznik
Seventh Ecumenical Council

Few centuries went by and Nicaea saw an earthquake and attacks by Muslims among other events. Yet again its importance increased in the 8th century when the Seventh Ecumenical Council gathered here, also called Second Council of Nicaea. Prominent members of the Christian religion convened at the Hagia Sophia church with the aim to condemn the Byzantine iconoclasm. Emperor Constantine V banned veneration of icons and the council intended to get the ban abolished. The pope eventually formally approved the council’s decree to restore veneration of icons.

Nicaea became an important administrative and trading centre again. In the 10th and 11th centuries it became a base for rebellions against Constantinople, fell briefly under Seljuk Turks’ rule, but returned to Byzantine rule again in less than 20 years later.

Crusaders conquered Constantinople in 1204, but Nicaea managed to remain autonomous. Four years later Theodore Laskaris founded Empire of Nicaea where also exiled Patriarchate of Constantinople resided. For half a century Nicaea enjoyed the prominent position, until Byzantines recaptured Constantinople. After that the city began to decline again.

yenisehir gate
Yenisehir Gate, Iznik
Ottoman rule and Iznik tiles
Iznik clock tower
Iznik Clock Tower

Ottomans conquered Nicaea in 1331. They changed the name of the town to Iznik and for a while it became their capital. This was a notable milestone in the history of Iznik. Ottomans converted Hagia Sophia church into a mosque and started to construct other Islamic buildings. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, however, Iznik lost its capital status.

hagia sophia iznik
Hagia Sophia, Iznik

In the 16th and 17th century Iznik became to be known for its pottery and tile making. The first time I heard of Iznik tiles was years ago when I visited famous Sultan Ahmed Mosque aka Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Perhaps this is the most known landmark where Iznik tiles decorate the building . Indeed, it is called Blue Mosque because of the striking effect the beautiful mainly blue and white intricately patterned tiles have on the walls of the mosque. However, before Blue Mosque was built, Iznik tiles were used in decoration of many other mosques and imperial buildings in Istanbul, Bursa and other towns. Famous architect Mimar Sinan designed many of those buildings . One such well-known construction is Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, built in 1555.

fountain by iznik lake
Fountain by Iznik Lake

Iznik tiles were painted mainly in dark blue, turquoise, coral red and emerald green colours on the white base and underglazed. The complicated process produced unique tiles which are up to 80 per cent composed of quartz and quartzite. Nowadays there are works underway to revive the old techniques of Iznik tile and pottery making. There are art centres and souvenir shops in the town selling beautiful Iznik pottery.

Before we departed this wonderful town we stopped again by the lake for a short walk by the beach. The setting was just breathtakingly beautiful! The green grass next to brilliant blue waters…very soothing. Although these days Iznik is a small town in terms of population, its cultural and historical heritage makes it a great city worthy of visit by any art and history lover.

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The importance of Anadoluhisari and Rumelihisari

Tolun's private Turkey tours Posted on April 7, 2021 by MarielleApril 22, 2021

One cannot overestimate the importance of Anadoluhisari (Anatolian Castle) and Rumelihisari (Rumeli Fortress) for the Ottomans in conquering of Constantinople in the 15th century.

Building Anadoluhisari

Middle Ages saw the turmoil in Europe, the crusades, the fighting over lands, and for political and religious power. The great Eastern Roman Empire was reduced to small territories in and around the city of Constantinople – the capital of Byzantium. While the fighting for power was going on in Europe, Ottoman Turks were advancing and increasing their territories around Byzantium. It was clear that Ottomans held Constantinople in their sights. In the final years of the 14th century Sultan Bayezid I had the fortress built on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, completed in 1394. It was the narrowest part of the strait – 660 metres wide. The fortress was to be called Anadoluhisari. Ottomans made attacks on Constantinople over the years but as it was known to be the best protected city of its time, their attempts were unsuccessful.

Anadoluhisari or Anatolian Castle in Istanbul
Anadoluhisari , view from Göksu stream
Construction of Rumelihisari

Over fifty years went by and Bayezid’s grandson young Sultan Mehmed II built another fortress on the opposite side of the Bosphorus from Anadoluhisari, completed in 1452. The new fortress on the European side of the strait was called Rumelihisari. As the sultan was only 19 years old in the year of his ascension to the throne in 1451, the Byzantines and the Latin West were not too worried as they thought him to be too young and inexperienced to be a serious military threat. However, they were proven wrong. The two fortresses were built to block any naval traffic passing through the strait without the Ottomans’ approval. That meant that in time for the siege of Constantinople no ships could pass through the Bosphorus to help the Byzantines in battle or in bringing provisions to the city.

Fall of Constantinople

And so the last bastion of the Byzantium, the magnificent city of Constantinople, was conquered by Islamic Ottoman Turks in 1453, a mere year after the Rumelihisari was built. The siege had lasted for 53 days, with attacks from both the land and the sea. That marked the end of the Eastern Roman Empire. The residents who managed to escape and hide from the soldiers were pardoned and allowed to go back to their homes (or what was left of them). The Hagia Sophia church was converted into a mosque and other Islamic symbols were erected in the city, but the Greek Orthodox Church was preserved. The city rebuilding works started and it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire, with the new name Istanbul.

Birth of Renaissance

As for the Europe, it is thought that the end of Byzantium brought the end to Middle Ages and caused the birth of Renaissance. Many intellectuals of the great Byzantium fled from Constantinople to Italy. Italy became blessed with the wealth of highly advanced scientists, philosophers, artists, poets, musicians, architects, artisans and other skilled and educated people who brought light into the dark times in Europe and thus the Renaissance began to flourish.

Anadoluhisari now

Back in the 15th century both the Anadoluhisari and Rumelihisari fortresses were built in the outskirts of the city, in rural settings. We visited Anadoluhisari recently this spring and it is now engulfed by the city of 15 million inhabitants. The castle itself was closed and we walked around it along the narrow busy streets filled with residential houses, cafes, restaurants and other businesses. The small Göksu stream is flowing by one side of the castle where the fishing boats and yachts are moored. Nearby there is a green area for the local people for recreation. It is a busy but charming neighbourhood of the city, now part of Beykoz district. Anadoluhisari is the oldest surviving Turkish construction in Istanbul.

Rumelihisari or Rumeli Fortress in Istanbul
Rumelihisari with the Sultan Fatih Mehmet Bridge in the background
Rumelihisari these days

A few summers ago we had visited Rumelihisari on the European side of the Bosphorus and that was open to public as a museum. Also it is a venue for open-air summer concerts, art-festivals an other events. An impressive site of medieval architecture and military might, it is also now just a small part of the huge vibrant city of Istanbul. Now it is situated in a leafy seaside district of Sariyer, dotted with beautiful old villas.

Modern skyscrapers and bright city lights may overshadow these two medieval castles, but their significance in the history of this ancient metropolis cannot be overshadowed nor forgotten.

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