İznik
Country: Turkey
Region: Middle East
Period: 1204-1261
Location: 40.429°N, 29.7195°E
Description
Nicaea (modern İznik, Turkey), located in northwestern Anatolia, was a significant city in both the Byzantine and later Ottoman Empires. Surrounded by defensive walls and near Lake Ascanius, it served as a cultural and strategic center. Nicaea was briefly the capital of the Empire of Nicaea, a Byzantine successor state after the Fourth Crusade's sack of Constantinople.
Modern Remains
Today, İznik retains much of its ancient and medieval heritage. The city walls, Roman gates, and remnants of Byzantine churches like the Hagia Sophia (site of the 787 Council) still stand. Ottoman-era mosques and tile-making traditions also survive, reflecting its layered history from antiquity through