Shenanigans in North-Western Turkey

Before I forget.. my friend from Egypt and I visited Iznik as part of our tour of NorthWestern Anatolia. Iznik, known by Christians as Nicea, was a quiet, subdued town on the edge of a great lake. It was peaceful, insanely historic, and surprisingly close to my very own hometown of Bilecik.

Places like Iznik (Nicea) make Turkey such a treat. Here we find a small Turkish town, devoid of the trappings of touristy glits and glam that come to encompass parts of Istanbul, the Aegean coast, and areas to the Mediterranean South. It was authentically Turkish in its quiet, gentle disposition, only it, as my friend aptly declared "pooped out artifacts" in insane quantity. Not only were we able to enter the Aya Sofya Church, where the ancient Christian Nicean Council essentially established the Christian doctrine, but we walked through passageways and overhangs inscribed with ancient Roman text. We stumbled upon an ancient amphitheater where we found the only other tourists we'd seen all day. It was marvelous.

Besides nearly firebombing my lungs (we smoked cigars on the lakefront), it was a tremendous day and the perfect capstone to a series of adventures. An uncorrupted, small Turkish town of the most incredible historical/religious significance! Who knew? Just another day in Turkey, I guess.

And this time, I'm serious. Goodnight!