Historical walls of İznik under protection

BURSA

The historical city walls, which were constructed 2,300 years ago in the northwestern province of Bursa’s İznik district, have been taken under protection by the Metropolitan Municipality during the restoration works.

Road layers dating back to the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empire periods have been unearthed during the archaeological excavations in the region, and the finds from the 15th century were delivered to the İznik Museum Directorate.

Founded in 316 B.C. by Antigonus Monophthalmos, one of the commanders of the Macedonian King Alexander the Great, İznik which is like an open-air museum thanks to the traces of Bithynia, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations.

The İznik Walls, which were built in in the fourth century B.C. during the Bithynia period, according to the information given by the ancient writer Strabo, were strengthened and extended after the attacks of the Goths, one of the barbarian tribes living in Northern Europe, in 258. The nearly 5-kilometer walls have four main and 12 secondary gates.

The walls have survived to the present day despite the sieges and major earthquakes throughout history and now are being restored by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality under the Presidency of the İznik Museum.

Bursa Mayor Alinur Aktaş said that İznik has a dazzling richness with its historical texture, natural beauties, and works reflecting the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

Expressing that the real magic of İznik is hidden in its architectural and artistic riches, Aktaş said, “Under each stone of the ancient city, which is surrounded by the walls, lies the story of thousands of years. İznik is considered one of the most important places not only for our city, but also for our country and even the world.”

Noting that in the restoration project of the Yenişehir Gate, which is located in a first-degree archaeological site, they aim to clean the historical gate and to protect it with layers of different periods.

“Archaeological excavations were carried out with the İznik Museum Directorate. The remains of bastions adjacent to the inner-city wall that had been damaged over time, burial areas between the two walls, old coins from the 15th century were unearthed during the works. The road layers from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empire periods were also unearthed. We are planning to complete the restoration of the Yenişehir Gate of İznik walls in September,” he said.