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The Iznik (historically known as Nicaea) Lake Basilica Site Welcome Center, developed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, has opened to receive visitors, adding a new layer to Iznik’s cultural landscape in Türkiye.
Officials said the new welcome center was designed to enhance access to the Iznik Lake Basilica—an early Christian church hall now under shallow waters of Lake Iznik—selected by the Archaeological Institute of America in 2014 among the “world’s top 10 archaeological discoveries.”
Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey noted that Iznik, already on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List—a preliminary roster countries use to nominate sites for the main World Heritage List—stands to gain further recognition through such investments.
“We are working together to secure Iznik’s place on the main list. The newly opened welcome center is one of the best reflections of this approach,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Gokhan Yazgi said the project, initiated in 2022, was planned with architects, technical staff, archaeologists, and the excavation team to serve both protection and presentation. He stressed that the site and its surroundings were reorganized as an open-air heritage area and that the center brings visitors together with information and services without compromising the site’s integrity.
“We have made this place ready to welcome all our guests, tourists, and many distinguished visitors,” he said.
Yazgi described the initiative as a large-scale undertaking valued at roughly ₺150 million, adding that studies of all layers of the basilica were carried out in coordination with relevant institutions. He stated that specialists believe the structure collapsed and sank below the lake’s surface after the 1065 earthquake.
He also underlined the broader pace of archaeological work, noting that the ministry is currently conducting 255 excavations across the country and that experts are working under challenging conditions to both safeguard and explain these sites to the public.
Officials said the welcome center includes a cafeteria, an exhibition hall, and a lakeside walking path intended for both visitors and local residents.
The aim, they noted, is to offer clear interpretation and comfortable access while preserving the character of the archaeological setting on Lake Iznik’s shore.
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