Archaeologists Discover Church Linked to First Council of Nicaea

Archaeologists in Turkey have potentially uncovered the remains of a significant church linked to the First Council of Nicaea, an event crucial to the history of Christianity. In July, an international team of researchers excavated a church complex in the ancient city of Nicaea, present-day İznik. This discovery, reported by the Anadolu Agency, suggests they may have found the Church of St. Neophytos, which collapsed in an earthquake in 368 A.D.

The Church of the Holy Fathers replaced it around 380 A.D. Archaeologists, led by Mustafa Şahin, uncovered stone foundations on the shore of Lake İznik. These findings included evidence of an earlier church believed to have hosted the First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Şahin noted the discovery of floor paving extending beyond the existing basilica’s walls, prompting further excavation to the east of the prothesis.

Nicaea is renowned for the First Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., where the Nicene Creed was established. This creed affirmed that Jesus was “begotten, not made,” confirming his divine nature. The council aimed to unify Christian doctrine across the Roman Empire, countering the views of Arius, who claimed Christ was a created being.

In 2014, archaeologists identified a submerged basilica at the site, later named the Church of the Holy Fathers. Recent evidence now suggests a smaller church beneath it, likely the one hosting the council. Coins found beneath the later basilica dated its construction to around A.D. 380, supporting the existence of an earlier church during the council period.

Şahin mentioned that historical accounts, notably those by Eusebius of Caesarea, described the council as held in a small church. This reinforced Şahin’s hypothesis. His team concluded the Church of Saint Neophytos existed below the Church of the Holy Fathers, which was built in memory of the attending bishops after 380 A.D. Şahin expressed satisfaction, stating their hypothesis was confirmed.

Turkey has yielded numerous discoveries related to early Christianity. Recent excavations also unearthed a fifth-century Christian church with an inscription in Olympos and remains of a Roman hospital turned Christian sanctuary in southwestern Turkey.