Archaeologists in İznik, Turkey, have unearthed what they believe to be the church where the pivotal First Council of Nicaea convened in 325 A.D., an event that established core Christian doctrine.
An international team excavating a church complex in the ancient city of Nicaea, now modern İznik, has uncovered evidence of an earlier structure beneath the Church of the Holy Fathers. Excavation director Mustafa Şahin told the Turkish state media outlet Anadolu Agency that this newly discovered, smaller church is a more likely candidate for hosting the council than the larger basilica built over it.
"We are very pleased because our hypothesis has been confirmed," Şahin stated. Coins recovered from graves beneath the Church of the Holy Fathers helped date its construction to approximately 380 A.D., indicating an earlier building occupied the site at the time of the council.
The First Council of Nicaea was a landmark event in Christian history, bringing together bishops from across the Roman Empire. The council produced the Nicene Creed, which affirmed the divinity of Jesus Christ, asserting he was "begotten, not made" and co-eternal with God the Father, thereby rejecting the beliefs of Arius.
Şahin's team was led to the site by the discovery that the floor paving of the Church of the Holy Fathers extended beyond its known walls. Excavations revealed the stone foundations of an earlier church, identified by Şahin as the Church of St. Neophytos, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 368 A.D. This structure was subsequently replaced by the Church of the Holy Fathers around 380 A.D.
Historical accounts from Eusebius of Caesarea, a participant in the First Council of Nicaea, described the meeting taking place in a small church. Şahin believes this detail supports the hypothesis that the smaller, earlier Church of St. Neophytos, rather than the larger basilica, was the venue.
"The church was so small that one wonders how so many bishops fit inside," Şahin said. "This itself was a great miracle of God."
While a submerged basilica identified in 2014 had long been associated with the council, the current findings suggest a different, earlier structure was the actual site. The Church of the Holy Fathers was later built over this location in memory of the bishops who attended the council.
Turkey has been the location of numerous significant archaeological discoveries related to early Christianity. In recent years, excavations in southern Turkey have uncovered other ancient Christian sites, including a fifth-century church with a hidden inscription and a Roman hospital later converted into a Christian sanctuary.