Basilica in Lake İznik to become underwater museum

BURSA – Doğan News Agency

One of the top 10 discoveries of 2014, the ancient underwater basilica in İznik will soon be opened to tourism as a museum. DHA Photo

The remains of a nearly 1,600-year-old basilica that was discovered at the beginning of last year under Lake İznik in the northwestern province of Bursa is now set to become an underwater museum. 

The underwater museum project, approved by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, will be carried out by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, the sponsor of the project.  

Uludağ University Head of Archaeology Department Professor Mustafa Şahin said the ba-silica had been discovered while photographing the city from the air to make an inventory of historical and cultural artifacts. 
Archaeologists, historians and art historians estimate that the structure collapsed during an earthquake that occurred in the region in 740. They determined that it was built in hon-or of St. Neophytos, who was among the saints and devout Christians who were martyred during the time of Roman emperors Diocletian and Galerius, when bans and punishments against Christians were common. According to resources, Neophytos was a saint who was killed by Roman soldiers in A.D. 303, 10 years before the Edict of Milan, a proclamation that permanently established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire.

Şahin said the church was established with his name in the place where he was killed. The date of the church construction was not precisely determined but it could have been built after 313, according to Şahin.
“There is one more date, which is important for us. Most probably, it could have been built in 325 after the first council meeting in İznik. In any case, we think that the church was built in the 4th century or a further date. It is interesting that we have gravures from the Middle Ages depicting this killing. We see Neophytos being killed on the lake coast,” he said, adding that he was a beloved saint. 

According to ancient resources, Christians definitely stopped by İznik in the Middle Ages while making their pilgrimage to visit the church. “Rumor has it that people in İznik were asking for help from the body of Neophytos when they were in difficulty,” he said.  

Preliminary works have started

Surface and underwater works have been made for the basilica to serve tourism. A team made up of the Orcan Vessel Rescue and Maritime Construction, along with Geomarine Land and Marine Research company, have started 10-day surface surveys of the basilica underwater. 

Orcan Vessel Rescue and Maritime Construction official Tuğrul Orcan said they were cur-rently conducting preliminary works on the area in preparation for converting the area into a maritime museum. 

“The project design will be the next stage. We are also working to find out if there are other archaeological remains in the area of the basilica. The seismic values and bathymetry of the area will be measured and building survey will be made,” he said. 

The discovery of the basilica was named as one of top 10 discoveries of 2014 by the Ar-chaeological Institute of America.