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IZNIK |
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Tucked away at the eastern end of the lake which bears its name, the
sleepy little town of IZNIK boasts extensive, well-preserved ruins.
Originally the ancient Greek city of Nicaea, as a Christian centre it
later gave its name to the Nicene Creed which affirmed the divinity of
Christ. When Istanbul fell to the Crusaders in 1204, Nicaea became the
Byzantine capital. Under the Ottomans, the city became a centre for
ceramic production, an art which has been recently revived. Orientation
is easy thanks to the Hellenistic grid street-plan, and you're free to
wander the length of the Byzantine city walls which enclose almost
everything of interest. The tourist office is in the centre of town,
Kiliçaslan Cad 130 (Mon-Fri 8.30am-noon & 1-5.30pm; tel 0224/757 1933),
opposite the Aya Sofya Museum (daily 9am-noon & 1-6.30pm; $1), the
remains of a Byzantine church originally founded by Justinian. To the
northeast lie the Haci Özbek Camii - the earliest-known Ottoman mosque,
built in 1333 - and the later Yesil Camii (Green Mosque), so named for
the green tiles decorating its minaret. Across the park sprawls the
fourteenth-century Nilüfer Hatun Imareti , a religious hostel which
nowadays houses Iznik's Archeological Museum (daily 9.30am-noon &
1-6.30pm; $1), displaying artefacts from nearby Neolithic settlements
and some fabulous examples of Ottoman Iznik ceramics. In the mid-1990s,
the Iznik Foundation ( www.iznik.com ) restarted local ceramic
production using original materials and techniques; their factory (free
tours daily 9am-7pm) is signposted as Iznik Vakfi on Hali Saha Arkasi,
beyond the remains of the Roman amphitheatre outside the walls to the
southwest.
Buses arrive at Iznik's tiny otogar , southeast of the centre, from
where everything is within walking distance. In summer, what
accommodation there is tends to fill up so you should reserve in advance.
The English-speaking Kaynarca Pansiyon , Gündem Sok 1 (tel 0224/757
1723; under £5/$8) is backpacker-friendly and provides a useful map;
there's satellite TV in every room and an attached Internet café. With
views over the lake are the Çamlik Motel (tel 0224/757 1631;
£5-10/$8-16), with en-suite doubles, and Cem Pansiyon (tel 0224/757
1687; under £5/$8), with rooms ensuite and not. Eating isn't great. The
fish restaurants on the coast road Sahil Yolu include the Sahil
Restaurant , which can manage grills and has a good range of meze .
There's a row of cheap restaurants behind Aya Sofya, including the funky
old Konat Barbeku Izgara , which has good stews and pide . The Tutku Bar
on Sahil Yolu has a big-screen TV showing local football games.
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