The Ancient Byzantine Basilica Unearthed Under Lake Iznik

In 2014, an underwater Byzantine Basilica of Saint Neophytos was uncovered in Lake Iznik, Turkey. The basilica was built on the lakeshore, and it was submerged due to a catastrophic earthquake in 740 CE. Keep in mind that, a basilica is a huge, oblong hall or building with double colonnades and a semicircular apse that was used in ancient Rome as a law court or for public gatherings.

According to experts, the Byzantine basilica was created as a result of Emperor Constantine the Great’s First Council of Nicaea, which met in 325 CE. Its finding was named one of the top ten archaeological finds of 2014 by the Archaeological Institute of America. The decreasing water levels brought it quite close to the surface, following a drought in the region.

During aerial photography to examine local sites in 2014, ruins of an underwater Byzantine basilica built in the fourth century CE were discovered, and the Archaeological Institute of America named it one of the top ten finds. The Byzantine basilica was dedicated to St. Neophytos of Nicaea, and it is believed that the impact of an earthquake in 740 CE caused its collapse. Historians believe the basilica is an example of early Christian construction.

They found that it was built in commemoration of St. Neophytos, who was one of the saints and faithful Christians executed during the reigns of Roman emperors Diocletian and Galerius, when bans and sanctions against Christians were frequent. According to Neophytos, a saint assassinated by Roman soldiers in 303 CE, ten years before the Edict of Milan, which secured permanent religious tolerance for Christianity within the Roman Empire,.

Moreover, plans are underway to build ‘An Underwater Museum’. The basilica was erected on an existing structure, as was customary at the time. Furthermore, there was no trace of mosaic or stone flooring, so historians assumed that the existing structure had an earthen or wooden floor. Several burials were discovered on the site, some containing the remains of several young children and a middle-aged adult.

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