Remains of church of First Council of Nicaea found
Archaeologists working in the northwestern province of Bursa’s İznik district have uncovered structural remains believed to belong to the Church of St. Neophytos, the modest church that hosted the First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, providing the strongest archaeological evidence to date for the long-debated location of one of Christianity’s most important gatherings.
The latest discoveries include wall remains, floor paving and a column base found beneath the ruins of the later lakeside basilica, which was named one of the world’s 10 most significant archaeological discoveries in 2014 by the Archaeological Institute of America.
Excavations have continued since 2015 at the site believed to have hosted Christianity’s first ecumenical council, which established key doctrines shaping the faith. The project operates under permission from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, with support from the Bursa Municipality.
The research is led by Professor Mustafa Şahin, head of the Archaeology Department at Bursa Uludağ University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, together with a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, anthropologists, conservators and art historians. This year’s excavation has also become an international collaboration with researchers from Italy’s University of Calabria and Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro joining the project.
