Ancient City Nicaea-Town Wall

The origins of the city of Nicaea date back a long way. After initially being known by names such as Elikore or Ankore, Antigonus I Monophthalmus founded a colony there called Antigoneia. Around 301 BC, Lysimachus refounded the city, naming it after his wife Nikaia. Later, Nicaea became part of the Kingdom of Bithynia and, from 74 BC, Roman. The city gained its greatest significance in late antiquity through the holding of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Second Council in 787. In 1077, Nicaea fell to the Rum Seljuks, who made it their first capital, but by 1097, Byzantine forces recaptured the city after a Crusader siege. Following the conquest of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade in 1204, Nicaea became the provisional capital of the Byzantine Empire in exile under Emperor Theodore I Laskaris. This era ended only in 1261, after the reconquest of Constantinople. In 1331, the city finally became part of the Ottoman Empire.

The ancient city walls are located in İznik, a district of Bursa Province in the Marmara region of Turkey, at an elevation of approximately 100 meters above sea level.

Today, visitors have the opportunity to explore the well-preserved remains of the ancient city fortifications and experience the history of this significant site firsthand.

• Ancient City Nicaea-Hagia Sophia (Ancient Buildings), approx. 0.8 km away
• Ancient City Nicaea-Theater (Ancient Buildings), approx. 1.1 km away
• Sangarius Bridge (Ancient Buildings), approx. 64.3 km away
• Şile Castle Ruin (Castle), approx. 84.2 km away