Guide
The basilica lies underwater in Lake İznik, off the shore at İznik in Bursa. It was found in the early months of 2014, when Bursa Metropolitan Municipality was flying aerial photography as part of a survey of historical and cultural heritage; the flight was the first time the site had been seen as a whole. The building follows early Christian basilica architecture, and underwater survey has recorded the rubble of its collapse both inside the walls and around them.
Surface survey began in the summer of 2015, and underwater excavation started that November under the direction of the Museum Directorate with Prof. Mustafa Şahin as scientific adviser. By decision of the Council of Ministers the work has continued since under Prof. Şahin, head of the Department of Archaeology at Uludağ University.
For years the basilica could only be seen from the air or from a boat. That changed in 2025: the visitor centre built by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums was completed in May, with a museum, a cafeteria, a shop and a walkway out over the water, and the İznik Lake Basilica Site Museum opened to visitors on 28 October 2025. The address is Selçuk Mah., Kutalmışoğlu Süleymanşah Cad. No:6, İznik.
