14 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Treasure Hunter Claims to Find First Council of Nicaea’s Location, Demands $50 Million for Discovery

In a startling revelation, Mustafa Uysal, a treasure hunter from Bursa, has claimed to have unearthed an underground city in the Orhangazi district, which he asserts is the true location of the First Council of Nicaea, traditionally believed to have taken place in Iznik. Uysal, who has kept his discovery under wraps for years, is now demanding $50 million to disclose the exact location of this purported archaeological site.

Uysal, who turned to treasure hunting after his retirement, stated that his excavations led him to a significant find: an underground city featuring a sarcophagus cemetery and intricate symbols adorning its long corridors. He emphasized the importance of this discovery for the Christian world, suggesting that it could reshape historical understanding of the First Council, which convened in 325 AD to address critical theological disputes within early Christianity.

The First Council of Nicaea was a pivotal moment in Christian history, convened by Emperor Constantine I to unify the rapidly growing Christian community and resolve theological disputes that threatened to divide it. One of the primary issues discussed was the Arian controversy, which revolved around the teachings of Arius, a priest from Alexandria. Arius argued that Jesus Christ, while divine, was not co-eternal with God the Father, a belief that contradicted the traditional understanding of the Trinity. The council ultimately produced the Nicene Creed, affirming the co-eternity of the Son with the Father and condemning Arianism as heretical.

“I have found the underground city where the Council was held,” Uysal declared in a statement to İhlas News Agency (İHA). “Inside, there are statues of Mary and Jesus Christ, 12 altars surrounding them, and the sarcophagus burial chamber of Princess Niken opposite it.” If verified, his claims could have profound implications for historical scholarship and religious heritage.

Credit: İHA

Uysal has expressed a desire for the Turkish government to assist in bringing this site to light, arguing that it could significantly boost the country’s economy through tourism. “My request from the state is to bring this place to light and revitalize Türkiye’s economy,” he stated. “If these demands are met, we can bring this place to tourism with the state’s own means within 3 or 6 months.”

He further elaborated on the potential value of the site, claiming it could represent a reserve of $150 billion, not including the antiquities and historical artifacts that may be found within. Uysal’s insistence on a $50 million price tag for the location has raised eyebrows, prompting discussions about the ethics of monetizing archaeological discoveries.

The First Council of Nicaea not only addressed theological disputes but also set important precedents for church governance and discipline. It established a uniform date for Easter, ensuring that Christians would celebrate this pivotal event in the life of Christ on the same day. The council’s decisions helped solidify the authority of bishops and laid the groundwork for the future structure of the Church.

As news of Uysal’s claims spreads, the archaeological community and historians are watching closely. If substantiated, this discovery could not only alter the narrative surrounding the First Council of Nicaea but also highlight the ongoing quest for understanding the rich tapestry of early Christian history. The world awaits further developments on this intriguing story, which could bridge the past and present in unexpected ways.

Cover Image Credit: İHA

Related Articles

Scottish Archaeologists unearth ‘missing’ Aberdeenshire monastery linked to first written Gaelic

19 November 2023

19 November 2023

One of the biggest mysteries in Scottish archaeological history has been solved with the discovery of the monastery site where...

China’s ancient water pipes show people mastered complex engineering 4,000 years ago without the need for a centralized state authority

16 August 2023

16 August 2023

A system of ancient ceramic water pipes, the oldest ever unearthed in China, shows that neolithic people were capable of...

Dingoes were regarded as “almost human” in pre-colonial Australia

21 October 2023

21 October 2023

When it comes to Australia’s wild dingoes, the phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” takes on new meaning....

Rare Prehistoric Animal Carvings Discovered For The First Time In Scotland

31 May 2021

31 May 2021

Animal carvings thousands of years old have been found for the first time in Scotland. The carvings, estimated to be...

Ming-era two shipwrecks found in South China Sea

23 May 2023

23 May 2023

In the South China Sea, two ancient shipwrecks that date back to the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) were...

The inhabitants of Pınarbaşı Höyük in central Turkey may be the ancestors of the Boncuklu Höyük and Çatalhöyük neolithic human communities

27 July 2022

27 July 2022

The Department of Excavations and Researchs, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Turkey, attracted...

Iron Age comb found made from human skull in UK

2 March 2023

2 March 2023

Researchers from the London Archaeological Museum (MOLA) determined that an Iron Age comb they found during an archaeological dig that...

Archaeologists Discovered Remarkably Preserved Shrines inside the Assyrian Temple of Ninurta, in Nimrud

29 December 2024

29 December 2024

Recent archaeological work in Nimrud, led by the Penn Museum in collaboration with Iraqi archaeologists, has uncovered two remarkably well-preserved...

Tombs rich in artifacts discovered by Swedish archaeologists in Cyprus

7 July 2023

7 July 2023

A Swedish archaeological expedition made the extraordinary discovery of tombs outside the Bronze Age trading metropolis of Hala Sultan Tekke...

Stone Age women in Europe were tied up and buried alive in ritual sacrifices

11 April 2024

11 April 2024

New research has identified over a dozen murders where women were traditionally sacrificed in Neolithic Europe across a period of...

Mine-clearance divers discovered an ancient shipwreck dating from the 3rd century BC

25 June 2023

25 June 2023

As a result of collaborative training exercises between Croatian and Italian naval mine-clearance divers, one of the earliest fully preserved...

Assyriologist solves archaeological mystery from 700 BC in Khorsabad, Iraq

7 May 2024

7 May 2024

A new interpretation of a set of temple symbols that have puzzled scholars for more than a century has been...

5,000-Year-Old Fortress Discovered in Romania Using LiDAR Technology

22 March 2025

22 March 2025

Archaeologists have unveiled a 5,000-year-old fortress hidden deep within the forests of Neamț County, Romania. This remarkable find, made possible...

19 funerary tombs from Roman times were discovered in Tartus, Syria

27 May 2022

27 May 2022

During search and excavation operations in the archaeological area of Amrit in Tartus, Syria, a joint excavation team from the...

In Fraueninsel in Lake Chiemsee: Romanesque a central building hidden underground for 1,000 years discovered

25 February 2024

25 February 2024

On Fraueninsel, an island in Germany’s Lake Chiemsee, archaeologists discovered a cult site that may have been slumbering underground for...