The Pope is coming to Türkiye! His program has been announced.

Pope Leo XIV, the spiritual leader of Catholics and head of state of the Vatican, will visit the 1,700-year-old underwater basilica on the shores of Lake Iznik in Bursa between November 28-30.

This basilica is considered to be the place where the First Council (325), one of the turning points in Christian history, was held.

Prior to the visit, a team led by Bursa Uludağ University Archaeology Department Head Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şahin is conducting intensive archaeological excavation and restoration work at the bottom of the lake.

Landscaping and exhibition work continues at the basilica. Excavation Director Şahin stated that the 60-person team working on this year's excavation season includes anthropologists, restorers, archaeologists, and art historians.

Şahin stated that they plan to continue excavations until the end of November, saying, "The end of November is a very important date. The Pope, the spiritual leader of Catholics and head of state of the Vatican, is scheduled to visit this site between November 28th and 30th. Until that visit, we will continue our work on the area, landscaping, and the exhibition. Our preparations are entirely focused on the exhibition."

Şahin stated that the church, measuring 20 by 40 meters and covering approximately 800 square meters, is currently under investigation. He explained that they are investigating why such a large church was built in a vulnerable area outside the city walls. Noting that the church is the largest known church in İznik, Şahin emphasized that by compiling and evaluating the data, findings, ruins, and cultural artifacts obtained from excavations to date, they have proposed that this is the Church of the Holy Fathers, a site known to exist for centuries but never discovered. This hypothesis has gained acceptance throughout the Christian world.

Source: AA