Archaeologists in Turkey Uncover Potential Site of the First Council of Nicaea
Archaeologists in Turkey may have identified the remains of a church which hosted the First Council of Nicaea, a crucial milestone in Christian history. According to Anadolu Agency, an international research team excavated a church complex in the ancient city of Nicaea, now within İznik.
Excavation director Mustafa Şahin identified the building as the Church of St. Neophytos, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 368 A.D. The Church of the Holy Fathers replaced it around 380 A.D. Researchers uncovered evidence of an earlier church thought to have hosted the First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Photos show archaeologists working along the shore of Lake İznik, exposing walls and masonry that have endured through the centuries.
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Şahin indicated that his team discovered hints of a smaller church after observing extension in the floor paving beyond the basilica’s current walls. “That was our most important question this season,” he shared. “We began excavating east of the prothesis, outside the church’s exterior wall.” This discovery corroborated the hypothesis that the floor paving went beyond the existing church.
The First Council of Nicaea, held in 325 A.D., is significant for articulating the Nicene Creed, which established the divinity of Jesus. It aimed to unify Christian doctrine and rejected the teachings of Arius.
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Since 2014, a submerged basilica has been linked with the First Council of Nicaea. While the Church of the Holy Fathers has been associated with this council, Şahin believes the newly discovered smaller church is a more accurate candidate. Coins found in graves beneath the later basilica date its construction to around A.D. 380, supporting the existence of an earlier church during the council.
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Eusebius of Caesarea described the council as occurring in a small church, aligning with Şahin’s findings. “The church was so small that one wonders how so many bishops fit inside,” Şahin noted, referencing historical accounts.
Şahin expressed confidence that the Church of Saint Neophytos beneath the Church of the Holy Fathers was where the council took place. “As of this year, we can definitively say that the Church of the Holy Fathers is located here,” he stated.
Turkey has been a prominent site for early Christian archaeological discoveries, including a fifth-century church in Olympos and a Roman hospital converted into a Christian sanctuary.