1500-Year-Old Church Discovered Under Lake Iznik

A church which dates back to year 500 was unearthed during excavations conducted under in the depths of Lake Iznik located western province of Bursa.
Explaining the details of the discovery, Professor Mustafa Şahin from Uludağ University’s Archaeology department told Cihan news agency that first traces of the church was first seen 20 meters below a beach and they have been conducting the excavations to get more clues about the church. Byzantine experts are still carrying out some researches to whom the church was belonged to but it has been predicted that the name of the church is St. Peters Church which was mentioned in some Christian books, said Şahin.

An archaeological study as part of efforts for Iznik to be listed World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) paved way for the launch of the excavation.

“The building has a structure of a basilica which consists of three columns. Such buildings were originally used as court buildings during the Roma age. In 313 when Christianity was declared as the official religion, devout Christians applied the same structure to the churches they built,” noted the professor.
The exact date when the church was built is not known yet but the archaeologists predicted that it must have been built in 500. The details of the church will be released in line with the excavations, added Şahin.

SHOT LIST

Monday, January 27, 2014 SOURCE: CIHAN
View from helicopter
Houses
Sea
Remnants of historical church
Duration: 01: 01