Historic Discovery in Iznik: Remains of the Church Where the First Council Was Held Found

A significant discovery has been made in the archaeological excavations carried out in Iznik, Bursa. The remains of the Aziz Neophytos Church, where the First Council was held, have been found in a basilica on the shores of Iznik Lake.The excavations are being carried out with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the support of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şahin, Head of the Department of Archeology at Bursa Uludağ University, explained the importance of the discovery.

We had previously thought that there was a floor covering in the prothesis room, but we did not know if it continued outside the church. This was our most important question in this year's excavation program. Therefore, we started an excavation work to the east of the prothesis room, outside the body wall, and as a result of the first week, we saw that the floor covering continued outside the existing church.

Prof. Dr. Şahin also stated that a gold ring and a signet ring were found, which are also important for the discovery.The author of Vita Constantini mentions the First Council, saying "The First Council was held in a house of worship or a small church. The church was so small that it is a miracle of God that so many clergymen fit inside."

In the excavations we carried out this year, we were able to easily say that the building whose foundations and floor covering we first found belonged to the Aziz Neophytos Church, the small church mentioned by Eusebius.

Şahin emphasized that the discoveries are of great importance for shedding light on the history of the Church.