Travel: Visiting turkeys 1,700 years after Nikenered was adopted

It is difficult to imagine Christianity without the Niken beliefs.

Regular church people will certainly know all or some words – “I believe in one God in the Almighty Father, the maker of heaven and earth…” – even if they do not know the origin of what most Christians around the world recite almost every Sunday.

1,700 years ago, what became the definitive Christian statement was adopted in Nicaia (now Iznik, Türkiye). At the time, Iznik was a post-base in the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine, once known as Asians.

Constantine, who legalized Christianity in 313, convened a council of over 300 bishops between May and July to discuss and resolve major issues, including the heresy of Arian, who had rocked the church.

In short, Arianism determined that Jesus Christ was merely the creation of God and therefore not God. In response, the Council confirmed the holy, most blessed and undivided Trinity. In other words, the faith in Gods of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Additional texts were supplemented and subsequently translated and re-translated at the Council in 381, but one of the most widely used English versions of 227 words remains essentially the same as today.

Over the next centuries, the Council under Constantine became known as Nicaea’s first Ecumenical Council. For context, the great division of Christendom, based in the Western Latin, based in Rome, and in the Orthodox East (now Istanbul), based in Constantinople, did not occur until 1054.

The church is no longer a single unification church, but Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox denominations can find unity despite many differences, due to their beliefs that emphasize Jesus, the “son of God’s One Being.”

Nicene Creed’s 1,700th anniversary is even more remarkable. This year’s amazing coincidence is that all Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day (April 20th) for the first time since 2017.

As I discovered when I visited last month, Turkey or Türkiye has arguably the broadest Christian history outside of the sacred sites, as the country’s names have been spelled out since 2022. In fact, the Holy Bible says that it was in Antioch (now Antachia), where Christians were first called Christians.

Of course, Turkey today is not a Christian country.

Official Turkish government statistics, 52 years after the conquering of the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople (the last trace of the Roman Empire), recorded 99% of the population as Muslims. Whether all of those Muslims practice their faith is another question.

As can be seen everywhere, religions can vary from region to region, but I am told that the number of Turks who regularly go to mosques for Islamic prayers is well below half the population. The widespread consumption of alcohol, particularly the well-known wines of turkey, may surprise some visitors, but it is true that turkeys have become less secular in recent years.

In a practical sense, Turkish Muslim identity was converted into a mosque during the conquest of the Ottoman Empire, due to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of a constitutional secular Turkish Republic. This sparked controversy as many believe that the original Christian church should be a museum.

The most famous of these mosques is Hagia Sofia in Istanbul.

I didn’t think the restoration as a mosque would be such a big problem. After all, Roman Catholics may have similar complaints about churches and cathedrals in England and elsewhere in Protestant Europe that were expropriated in the reforms. Anyway, non-Muslims can come in a way that balances historical, architectural and artistic interests with Muslim religious interests.

One of the real problems for devout Christians about pilgrimage is the lack of a place to worship. Istanbul has Anglican, Lutheran, Evangelical Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches, but elsewhere in Turkey.

Iznik is such a place with no church despite its history. Perhaps there are plans to build spaces where pilgrimage Christians can respect their prayers, blessing or blessing the sacraments of Mass, Eucharist, Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Eve. Still, I saw nothing indicating that something would be built before the expected wave of visitors later this year.

One of the expected visitors is Pope Francis. Last year, the Vatican announced that the Roman bishop would join Archbishop Bartholomew, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, Iznik. At the time of this writing, the Pope had been hospitalized since mid-February, so it is unclear whether the visit will proceed as planned, but he was released from Hoppital on Sunday.

If you’re going

So many civilizations and cultures leave their mark in this country at the intersection of the East and West.

It’s easy to get here as Turkish airlines with flag carriers fly to more countries than any other airline.

Istanbul is the most populous city with around 15.7 million residents, but it has not been a capital since the Ottoman Empire collapsed after the defeat in World War I.

3-4 days in Istanbul is the absolute minimum. If you can afford it, book a room at Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul in Sultanahmet. Otherwise, JW Marriott is recommended, offering a drastic view of the bosshorus.

Plan a half day at the spectacular Hagia Sofia and half day at Hagia Eileen’s old church (not a museum yet) and Karie Mosque. Another day wandering around the Grand Bazaar, people watch coffee and Turkish wine in cafes and restaurants. And a day or two to see major museums such as Topkapi Palace, Archaeological Museum, and Cathedral.

Also, do not overlook the Cathedral of St. George, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. This is an orthodox equivalent to the Anglican Canterbury Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Vatican.

Most tourists who travel from Istanbul to Iznik, a small city facing Lake Iznik and on Lake Iznik, arrive by tour bus and stop for several hours before moving on to their next destination. It is very stupid not to spend time where Nikenerid was adopted, especially for those who are making religious pilgrimages.

If you go, please stay at least one or two nights. It gives you time with major attractions: the amazing Iznik Museum. Partially submerged ruins of a cathedral-style church believed to have been used by the council in 325. Hagia Sophia, a 6th-century church-turned-mosque-turned-museum mosque, held the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. And an ancient wall with impressive gates on a date with the Romans. Both the Eleia and Limnado hotels are recommended for hotels.

One of the most notable group tours is sponsored by the Church of England and the Eastern Church of Churches, promoting Church of England ecumenism and unity. It is co-led by Pastor Nikitas Loulias, Orthodox Archbishop of Thyateira and the British Archbishop, and the Rev. Right and the Book of Right. Lord Chartres, a former bishop of the Anglican Church of London, said the pilgrimage from April 28th to May 7th can still be booked through the Tutku Educational Trip.

Another commemorative event was the Nick A meeting between renowned Southern Baptist theologian Pastor Al Mohler and other evangelicals in Istanbul from October 22-25.

In Istanbul, especially, perhaps solo travelers and couples with knowledge of history would not need a guide. That being said, Turkish guides often spend money. The Turkish Guide is the best guide in the world thanks to the requirements of higher education and strict testing.

Dennis Lennox is a travel column for Christian Post.