Life in the little town of ancient Nicea

Our family took a day trip to Iznik last week. Ancient site of Nicea where the famous Council of Nicea occurred. We hear lots about it from Turks who are taught that this was where all the different Bibles were put on a table, shaken, and the 4 that remained are the Bibles we use today, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We know it as the place the trinity was determined to be doctrine. The church where the 7th century council met to declare the ban on icons over is still standing in the center of town.

Far more interesting to us was the wonderful feeling of being in a large Turkish village but not a spectacle. Used to tourists enough to not gawk, but not dependent on tourism enough to be leachy, this town ignored our presence as we walked up and down their cobblestone streets. We were in search of classic Iznik ceramics because this is the home of the famous art of the 15th century still seen in many of the famous mosques throughout Istanbul. A new masters college has been established to resurrect the skill and a plethora of small studios fill Iznik proudly displaying their work.


And the women on the curb had come into town for market day. 3 liter coke bottles filled with fresh milk lined the street! Just another normal day in the little town of Iznik.

These men hanging outside of the women's doctor clinic need to be immortalized on the wall of any female gynecologist! Not sure that's a doctor I would choose to go to!