The Council of Nicaea and İznik: 1,700 Years of the Nicene Creed
On the shores of a peaceful lake in northwestern Turkey lies İznik — the ancient city of Nicaea, where one of the most important events in Christian history took place. Here, in 325 AD, the Church confessed for all time that Jesus Christ is truly God.
The First Ecumenical Council
In 325 AD, Emperor Constantine summoned some 318 bishops from across the Christian world to Nicaea to resolve the Arian controversy over the nature of Christ. The council affirmed that the Son is "of one substance with the Father" — fully God — and produced the Nicene Creed, still recited by billions of Christians every Sunday.
The Legacy of the Creed
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
— JOHN 1:1
The Nicene Creed united the Church around the essential truth of the faith and remains the most widely shared statement of Christian belief across Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions. To stand in İznik is to stand at the source of the words we confess together.
A Historic 1,700th Anniversary
The year 2025 marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea — a moment of profound significance for the whole Christian world and a powerful sign of Christian unity. The anniversary has drawn renewed attention to İznik and its role in the story of the faith, including a historic papal visit.
Visiting İznik Today
İznik still preserves its ancient walls, the Hagia Sophia of İznik (where a later council met), and the serene lake beneath whose waters lie the remains of a submerged basilica. It is a place of quiet reflection on the courage and clarity of the early Church.
Our pilgrimages include İznik as a highlight, connecting the Nicene Creed we confess with the very place it was born.
Experience This Journey
Related pilgrimages that visit the places in this article:
