1500-year-old church found under Turkish lake

cathnews ^ | January 30, 2014

[NYer]

A Byzantine church has been discovered underneath Lake İznik in Bursa, a province known as one of the most significant places in Turkey for Christians, reports Today's Zaman.

The church is assumed to be St Peter's Church, which appears in many different sources of Christian history, although no evidence to support that has yet been found. Mustafa Şahin, chair of Uludağ University's department of archeology, said detailed research is being undertaken by Turkish experts on Byzantine history.

'We will share the findings with the public as soon as we get detailed information,' Şahin said. The church has been named one of the most important sources for research in the area. Very rigorous research is under way right now to help the church come above ground and out of the lake.

According to the information attained so far, the church consists of three corridors and has the layout of a basilica. This kind of construction was generally in vogue during the Roman period and was used in courthouse buildings. In A.D. 313, when Christianity was accepted as the official religion of the empire, practicing Christians started to use the basilica layout for churches as well.

The site extends from east to west and has been determined to be a church building because there is an apsis in the east corner of the building in addition to the fact that basilica floor plans were commonly found in churches, Şahin explained.

FULL COVERAGE

1,500-year-old historic church found under Turkish lake (Today's Zaman)

Byzantine Church Found in Turkish Lake (Archaeology)

 

[NYer]

1500 year old church in the shape of a basilica, ping.

[GreyFriar]

Thus proving early disciples reached Atlantis with the good news. :-)

[2banana]

To those of you educated in public schools -

Yes - the land mass of modern day Turkey was a Christian nation for 1500+ years.

It was conquered by islamic armies where the Christian population was either killed, enslaved or treated as 3rd class citizens until they converted...

[pierrem15]

İznik = Nicaea (as in The Council of).

[Defiant]

This truly is Sunken Civ.

[married21]

Always in the last place you look.

[NYer]

Ping!

[NYer]

Thus proving early disciples reached Atlantis with the good news. :-)

Thus proving the early christians did not practice sola scriptura ; -)

[holden]

What am I missing here? The picture at the first link shows apparently this same 10-foot-underwater building outline (as above at FR) 30-foot off shore. Surely it didn’t take those inhabitants any time at all to have seen this under-shallow-water outline and had done so for generations.

What’s up with this newfound discovery claim?

HF

[RedStateGuyTrappedinCT]

To those of you educated in public schools -

Yes - the land mass of modern day Turkey was a Christian nation for 1500+ years.

It was conquered by islamic armies where the Christian population was either killed, enslaved or treated as 3rd class citizens until they converted...

But that could NEVER happen in our enlightened age...

[Tax-chick]

LOL!

I didn’t read the whole article. Has the discovery been attributed to Global Warming.

[Sacajaweau]

wow...

[bjc]

Excellent questions. The cynic in me asks:
Does some University Department need an infusion of funds?

[Shery]

Wish they’d found that when I was living there! That would have been an awesome site to go visit. One of the hotels in Pamukale, Turkey, was built over the Roman ruins and the pool is in the midst of broken columns, statues, etc. We did not stay at that hotel, but those who did were allowed to swim among the ruins! Very cool!

So much to see in Turkey! LOVED living there!

[SuziQ]

It’s possible that the lake levels have lowered over the years which made the church more visible than it might have been a few years ago, and that would have nothing to do with ‘Global Warming’.

[Thane_Banquo]

I wonder if they practiced baptism by immersion....

I kid, I kid. :-)

[annalex]

Nicaea, Occupied Byzantium.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the pings!

[Ciexyz]

This could be our nation 1500 years in the future, when future residents dig St. Patrick’s Cathedral out of the rubble and Washington’s National Cathedral, too. They’ll say, gee it looks like those people were once Christians.