Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), (at the town square, intersection of two major streets of the town). While much smaller in size compared with its namesake in Istanbul, this rectangular, red brick building built in typical Byzantine style, holds as much historical importance, if not more, as it’s the site of the seventh ecumenical council of Christianity (i.e. Second Council of Nicaea, in 787). Located in a pleasant small park, entry into the building itself, it seems, is not allowed at the moment. �
Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami), (in a little square/park on the left side when walking towards Lefke Gate on Kılıçaslan Caddesi, next to the Museum), . Built in early 14th century, this mosque with its impressive minaret (tower) covered with green-turquoise-blue mosaics and tiles (that’s where the name of the mosque comes from) looks more like earlier Seljuk edifices rather than Ottoman mosques. �
Museum (Müze), (in a little square/park on the left side when walking towards Lefke Gate on Kılıçaslan Caddesi, next to the Green Mosque), ☎ +90 224 757 10 27. Tu-Su 9AM-noon/1PM-5PM. Housed inside Nilüfer Hatun imaret (a social security instution of the past which provided free food for the poor), built in 14th century. There are also some marble sarcographi, columns, and columnheads dating back to Roman and Byzantine times in its yard.3 TL. �
Esrefzade Mosque (Eşrefzade Camii), Kılıçaslan Caddesi (in a side alley on the left side of the street when walking towards Lefke Gate from town square; not far from Green Mosque, only a couple streets in between), . A recently built (2007) neighbourhood mosque with an ancient minaret (tower; when it was constructed is not exactly known, but likely 16th century) decorated with green tiles, in a similar fashion with the one of the Green Mosque, except that the tiles of this one are far less showy than those of the Green Mosque. So, if you have just started your trip around the town and come across with this one first, don’t be disappointed and confuse it with Green Mosque. �
City Walls. The town is still mostly enclosed by ancient walls, if partially a bit weary. You can also come across with some slowly crumbling towers here and there. Istanbul Gate (northern gate) and Lefke Gate (the eastern one) are more or less still completely intact and are quite beautiful. Just outside the Lefke Gate is an ancient aquaduct running for some hundreds of metres and eventually disappearing in the fields out of town. �
Candarlioglu Mosque (Çandarlıoğlu Camii), (on the left side of the street when going to the Lake Gate/waterfront from the town square), . Another recently built (1996) small mosque. An ordinary building with nothing fascinating except that it’s mostly coated with blue/green tiles all over its exterior walls, making a quite pleasant sight. It’s directly on the street and a bit hidden from view by the surrounding multi-story buildings on both sides, so for not passing-by without noticing it, watch the left side of the street while walking. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Iznik
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Iznik - updated May 2024
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Iznik Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
