Historic Turkish city gears up for Pope’s potential visit

BURSA

Pope Francis, the spiritual head of the Catholic church, has expressed a renewed desire to travel to Türkiye for the anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, prompting preparations for the potential visit to commence in the western city of Bursa’s İznik district, the site of the ecumenical council.

“Tradespeople find the Pope's visit to İznik to be highly significant. In terms of trade, we have been in a lagging position for a long time, but I think this event will help things improve,” said a tile artist named Kübra Göllü, expressing her excitement over the potential visit.

According to Merve Cındık, another tile artist, the potential visit would mark a significant step for the historical district.

“We are thrilled since it is something that is highly anticipated and desired. It is an extremely important development in terms of İznik’s tourism and heritage, as well as the tile art we engage in,” Cındık noted.

The head of a real estate association, Mustafa Can, echoed the sentiments of the two tile artists, noting that the potential landmark visit would draw worldwide attention to the district.

"İznik is a city renowned for its agriculture, tourism and history. It is a sacred city, having served as the capital of four different civilizations,” he said, emphasizing that the tradespeople would be revitalized by the Pope's visit to this historically significant district.

"We are also excitedly anticipating his arrival as he is an important figure. İznik residents are hospitable and we would want to make sure he has the greatest possible stay,” he further noted.

Bekir Uslu, a tourism manager, also expressed his satisfaction with the Pope’s remarks, stating, “This is a crucial statement. The Pope's visit to İznik would mark a momentous chance for both İznik and Türkiye to gain international recognition. We will be able to better promote the country and İznik overseas if we host the Pope with excellence.”

The Pope has recently reaffirmed his desire to pay a visit to the district in a meeting at the Vatican. “We shall also have the chance to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the first significant ecumenical council, the Council of Nicaea, during this Holy Year. I'm considering traveling to Türkiye,” he said.

He had earlier expressed his desire to visit the historic district on June 28 this year.

Notable for having a substantial cultural and historical significance, İznik remains one of the most important sites of meaningful Christianity-related discussions and decisions.

Archaeologists have been working meticulously to shed light on the religious use phase of the approximately 2,000-year-old Roman theater in the historic district.

Within the scope of these efforts, the fresco depicting the Virgin Mary holding Jesus in her arms, thought to be one of the oldest examples that has survived to the present day, has recently been unearthed through restoration.

The ancient theater was reopened to the public last March following the completion of the majority of the excavation and restoration work that started in the 1980s, with efforts still underway in some areas.