İZNİK

Considered to be an open air museum and an ostenible touristic town , İznik is one of the most unique towns in the word with fertile soil , natural beauty, historical & cultural heritage, production of all kinds of produce, lakes and a world famons art of tile making, not to mention a pleasant climate.
 

THE FIRST and SEVENTH EUCUMENICAL COUNCILS
İznik bears special importance in Chiristianity. The 1st council met in the senate Palace in 325 A.D with the participation of 218 bishops. There were two main issues discussed during this momentous assembly. The first one was that christ was a humble man and not the son of the almighty. This thesis was suppoted by Airus , a theologirst from Alexandria, who found quite a lot of supporters though most bishops reacted aganist this thesis . In the end , subsequent long drawn out debates dealt with the dissertion of christ being then son of god gained approval.

The dates of christian holidays and and a next comprising of 20 articicles known as Nicaea edicts were put into effect subsequent to this council . the 7th council was also held in the Nicaea hagia sophia in 787 A.D. which put to end to the ban inposed on church icons.

THE ART OF TILEMAKING
During the 15th-17th centuries, İznik tiles widely used in otoman architecture as a decorative element and incredibly developed.These tiles were used in mosques, baths, libraries, pavillions and palaces. İznik tiles were to have an significant impact upon Turkish architecture and decorative art. The beauty and magnificenceof the buildings gained significance through the decorative embellishments utilized, augmenting the art volue and esthetical beauty of the structures. In addition, bowls, plates, cups, teacups, oil lamps and mugs displayed in many of the major museums were made ın the İznik tile furnaces.

During his visit to İznik, the world renown Turkısh traveller Evliya Çelebi, wrote in his Book of Travels that there were more than 300 tile furnaces in 1648.

Due to the prevailing economic crisis and a lack of state order, the decline of tile production had begun by the end of the 17th century, whereas one was not able to trace the footsteps of the tiles by the 18th century.
 

MONUMENTS OF İZNİK

1) THE WALLS
2) THE PALACE OF THE SENATE
3) THE MONUMENTOF BEŞTAŞ
4) THE ANTİQUE THATER
5) THE BERBER ROCK
6) STONE BRIDGE

MONUMENTS OF THE BYZANTİNE ERA

1) THE CHURCH OF HAGIA SOPHIA
2) HYPOGE
3) AQUEDUCTS
4) SACRED INSECT SPRING
5) THE CHURCH OF KOİMESIS
6) THE CHURCH OF HYGIOS TRYPHONOS
7) THE CHURCH OF HYGIOS TRYPHON

MONUMENTS FROM THE OTTOMAN PERİOD

1) THE GREEN MOSQUE
2) THE NILUFER HATUN SOUP JITCHEN
3) THE İZNİK MUSEUM
4) HACI OZBEK MOSQUE
5) THE SEYH KUTBETTIN MOSQUE AND TOMB
6) THE ESREF-I RUMI MOSQUE AND TOMB
7) THE MAHMUT CELEBI MOSQUE
8) THE YAKUP CELEBI MOSQUE AND TOMB
9) THE MOSQUE AND THE BATH OF ORHANGAZI
10) THE SULEYMAN PASHA SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
11) THE BATH İSMAİL BEY
12) THE BATH OF MURAT II
13) THE BATH OF MURAT I
14) THE BATH OF KONAK
15) THE TOMB OF THE KYRGYZ
16) THE TOMB OF SARI SALTUK
17) THE TOMB OF ALAADDIN-I MUSRI
18) THE TOMB OF ABDÜLVAHAP SANCAKTARI
19) THE TOMB OF ÇANDARLI HALİL HAYRETTİN PASHA
20) THE TOMB OF ÇANDARLI İBRAHİM PASHA
21) THE TOMB OF ÇANDARLI KARA HALİL PAHSA
22) THE TOMB OF ESREF BABA
23) THE TOMB OF AHIVEYN SULTAN
24) THE TOMB OF THE MOODIES
25) THE ARAB MOSQUE
26) THE EXCAVATION ZONE OF THE IZNIK TILE OVENS
 

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