Oldest Christian Church in Turkey to be opened to visitors

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OLDEST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN TURKEY TO BE OPENED TO VISITORS​

Source: Blagovest-Info
Tbilisi, September 14, 2016

A Christian church of the fourth century which was discovered in 2014, twenty meters from shore at the bottom of Lake Iznik in the Turkish province of Bursa, will be opened to visitors, reports Karibche.ambebi.ge.

Restoration of the basilica was carried out over the past several months.

According to Mustafa Sahin, head of the Archeology Department of Bursa (Uludağ) University, the church of the Roman period will be open to the public the first and last Saturdays of every month.

The newly-restored basilica was originally dedicated in honor of the Holy Martyr Neophytes who was slain by Roman legionaries in 303 AD precisely on the site of the church.

According to Turkish archeologists, the church was damaged by an earthquake in 740 AD and subsequently submerged under the lake waters.

Translated by Dmitry LapaBlagovest-Info15 / 09 / 2016​

 

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[silverhandorder]

How do they restore and show off a ruin under water?

 

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How do they restore and show off a ruin under water?

lol, I have no idea! With scuba gear?

 

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What I find fascinating is that this ruin was discovered just a couple of years ago. How on earth was it hidden for 1600 years when it is only 20 meters off the coast!? Unless, of course, it wasn't only until recently that the ruins were determined to be a basilica. But looking at the shape of it, I would guess even an amateur archeologist would have determined that in a few seconds, as it has the obvious layout of a Christian basilica.