1,5k-year-old church emerging from the water in Lake Iznik in Turkey

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The remains of a 1,500-year-old basilica constructed in honor of St. Neophytos have now emerged after water levels in Lake Iznik in the province of Bursa had dropped recently, the newspaper Daily Sabah reports.

The basilica in northwest Turkey, submerged underwater for centuries and believed to be dating back to the 4th or 5th century AD, was discovered after aerial photographs of the lake were taken, revealing the submerged ruins of the Byzantine church, only 20 meters from the banks of the lake.

The area, including the city of Nicaea, where the Nicene Creed was agreed upon in the First Ecumenical Council, served as an important religious and cultural center during the Byzantine and early Christian periods. Experts say that the basilica is an example of early Christian architecture.

The church is believed to be dedicated to St. Neophytos, a martyred saint. It was built on the site of St. Neophytos’ grave, as it was common to construct churches atop the graves of martyrs and worshipers wanted their own graves to one day be close to that of a saint.

Source

[Addison Rae 18,095]

stuff like this is so interesting to me. if i wasn’t studying media rn i would totally be studying historic architecture 

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Drone video (this is from 2019 when the water level was higher):