17 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A pendant with a figure of St. Nicholas found in the Ancient Church Hidden in Turkish Lake

Underwater archaeological excavations and research, which were started 8 years ago in the basilica located 20 meters off the lake shore at a depth of 1.5-2 meters in the Iznik district of Bursa, in western Turkey, continue with new discoveries.

Historically, Iznik played a significant role as a center of culture during the Byzantine and early Christian eras. These ancient roots showed themselves in 2014 when a 1,600-year-old basilica was found submerged off the shores of Lake Iznik.

In A.D. 740, an earthquake destroyed the basilica, which later sank beneath the lake’s surface, leaving the ruins submerged.

Underwater excavations are continuing in Iznik Lake under the direction of Professor Mustafa Şahin, a professor at Bursa Uludağ University (BUU) Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Archeology.

The research team unearthed a large number of finds and a pendant with the name and figure of St. Nicholas on it during the dives that continued since the beginning of August.

Photo: Professor Mustafa Sahin

The finding of the pendant, which is thought to belong to a pilgrim, is considered as a sign that the basilica, which was named one of the 10 most important discoveries worldwide in 2014 by the American Archaeological Institute, was a pilgrim church at that time.

Professor Mustafa Şahin, Head of Underwater Excavations of the Basilica of Lake Iznik and Head of the Archeology Department of BUU Faculty of Arts and Sciences, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they started the dives on August 3 this year and completed the dives at the end of last week.

Şahin, who gave information about the identity of St. Nicholas and his importance for Christianity:

“We know him more as ‘Santa Claus’. The saint’s relics are not currently in Demre, but his church is in Demre. The find is very important as it shows us that a pilgrimage group, or at least a pilgrim, came here. The pilgrim probably came to Demre after completing his pilgrimage to Jerusalem and bought this necklace. Then he visited the basilica where we were excavating. Unless she accidentally dropped the necklace, she left it at the church. This is important because it shows us that the church we excavated was originally a pilgrim church.”

Photo: AA

Şahin said that the pendant with “Hagios” on one side and “Nikolaos” on the other side writing and the figure of St. Nicholas in the middle was delivered to the Iznik Museum.

“Our most important goal next year is to reach important information, findings, and documents on whether the 1st Council really convened here. We will continue to work on this issue.”

The ancient city of Nikaia (İznik) is well known in Christian circles as the site of an early and significant statement of faith: The Nicene Doctrine.

During their excavations, the team learned a lot about the early Christian church. They not only dated the basilica to the late fourth or early fifth century CE, but they also discovered that it was most likely built over an earlier structure.

Researchers in previous years also discovered several graves as well as the skeletons of several young children and an adult. Because of the church’s close relationship with St. Neophytos, burials at the site would have been common at the time. This saint was martyred in Nicea when he refused to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods under the orders of the governor. It is believed that the basilica, which was built outside the city walls, sits on the site of St. Neophytos’ grave, and it was not uncommon for worshippers to want to be buried near a saint.

Related Articles

“Ladies of Anavlochos”: Crete’s Puzzle in Pieces

9 May 2025

9 May 2025

Perched high on the rugged slopes of Mount Anavlochos, overlooking the azure expanse of the Mediterranean Sea, lie the silent...

The “food” thousands of years ago may be the ancestor of a Turkish dessert

25 July 2021

25 July 2021

The rock paintings and kitchen materials found in the cave, which were discovered by a shepherd and emerged as a...

Unearthing the Epic: New Finds Bolster Links to Legendary Trojan War

8 July 2025

8 July 2025

The legendary Trojan War, long enshrined in myth and Homeric epic, may be moving closer to historical validation as archaeologists...

3,000-year-old ‘charioteer belt’ discovered in Siberia

21 July 2023

21 July 2023

Russian archaeologists uncovered the grave of a Late Bronze Age man buried wearing a “charioteer’s belt”, a flat bronze plate...

Iron Age Children’s a Unique Funerary Building Discovered in Oman

3 March 2024

3 March 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique Iron Age children’s funerary building at the Manaqi archaeological site in Rustaq, South Al Batinah...

Pharaonic Hieroglyphic Inscription of Ramses III Found in Southern Jordan

20 April 2025

20 April 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, a hieroglyphic inscription bearing the royal cartouche of Pharaoh Ramses III (1186–1155 BC) has been...

Could the Kerkenes Settlement be Gordion the Second?

1 August 2022

1 August 2022

Although the settlement on the Kerkenes mountain, located within the borders of Sorgun district of Yozgat, has been known and...

Pendants and beads reveal nine European Cultures living across the continent 30,000 years ago

1 February 2024

1 February 2024

In a new study, researchers have constructed a continent-wide database of personal ornaments worn by Europeans 34,000-24,000 years ago, a...

200,000-year-old hand axe discovered in the northern part of Saudi Arabia

5 November 2023

5 November 2023

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) of Saudi Arabia has announced that archeological excavation teams at the Qurh site in...

Newly Discovered Two Fortress Settlements and a New Type of Open-Air Temple in Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye

26 March 2024

26 March 2024

Two fortress settlements and two new open-air temples were discovered during a survey in Tunceli province in the Eastern Anatolia...

Archaeologists Reconstruct the Face of a 7th-Century Anglo-Saxon Woman Buried with “Trumpington Cross”

21 June 2023

21 June 2023

In a remarkable archaeological discovery near Cambridge, England, the face of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon woman buried with a rare gold...

2,000-year-old Roman pewter hoard discovered in Suffolk

4 July 2023

4 July 2023

A rare hoard of Roman pewter has been discovered in Euston, western Suffolk, in eastern England. The rare discovery includes...

2,050-Year-Old Assembly Building Discovered in Ancient City of Laodicea Marks Architectural First in Anatolia

2 August 2025

2 August 2025

During the 2025 excavation season, archaeologists in the ancient city of Laodicea have unearthed a 2,050-year-old Roman-era assembly building with...

8 ostrich eggs over 4,000 years old discovered near excavated firepit in Negev desert

13 January 2023

13 January 2023

Eight ostrich eggs dating between 4,000 and 7,500 years ago have been found during excavations next to a fire pit...

The new study presents evidence suggesting the use of threshing sledges in Neolithic Greece as early as 6500 BCE, about 3000 Years Earlier than Previously Thought

17 May 2024

17 May 2024

The threshing sledges, which until a few decades ago was used in many Mediterranean countries from Turkey to Spain to...