When Pope Leo XIV announced his intention to visit Türkiye to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, few destinations could have carried such weight in both Christian history and Turkish cultural memory.
Set on the tranquil shores of Lake İznik in northwest Türkiye, Nicaea was once the stage for one of the most decisive moments in the history of Christianity — the First Ecumenical Council of 325 AD, where bishops from across the empire gathered to define what would become orthodox Christian belief.
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Pope Leo XIV’s Türkiye Program (27–30 November 2025)
Pope Leo XIV’s four-day visit to Türkiye stretches across Ankara, Istanbul, and Nicaea (İznik), blending diplomacy, interfaith dialogue, and a historic return to the birthplace of Christian orthodoxy.
27 November — Ankara & Istanbul
The Pope arrives from Rome, visits Anıtkabir, meets Turkish leaders, and then flies to Istanbul.
28 November — Istanbul → İznik → Istanbul
He meets clergy at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, visits a hospice operated by the Little Sisters of the Poor, and flies by helicopter to İznik for an ecumenical prayer beside the excavations of the ancient St. Neophytos Basilica. He returns to Istanbul for a private meeting with bishops.
29 November — Istanbul
The day begins at the Blue Mosque, continues with Syrian Orthodox leaders at Mor Efrîm Church, and culminates in a joint declaration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of St. George. In the evening, he leads a public Holy Mass at Volkswagen Arena.
30 November — Istanbul → Lebanon
The Pope visits the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral, offers a final blessing at St. George, and departs from Atatürk Airport for Lebanon.
Hundreds of thousands of Christians were massacred by the Ottomans in Anatolia during the First World War — what the world condemns, and the Turkish government still denies, as the Armenian, Syriac and Pontic (Greek) genocides. The Pope will meet with leaders of the tiny Greek, Armenian and Syriac Christian communities in Istanbul, including visiting the Syrian Orthodox Church of Mor Efrem (St. Ephrem the Syrian), the only new church (opened in 2023) built in Turkey in more than 100 years.
Nicaea: The Birthplace of Christian Orthodoxy
Convened by Emperor Constantine the Great, the First Council of Nicaea sought to resolve theological disputes threatening the unity of the early Church — particularly the controversy over Arianism, which questioned the divine nature of Christ.
It was here that the Nicene Creed was born — a declaration of faith still recited by billions of Christians today. Beyond its religious significance, Nicaea represented an early moment when politics, philosophy, and faith intertwined, shaping the moral and intellectual trajectory of Western civilization.
The Seven Ecumenical Councils
Anatolia, the vast peninsula that makes up most of modern-day Turkey, is not only a bridge between continents—it is also one of the central landscapes of Christian history. Remarkably, most of the early Ecumenical Councils that shaped the core beliefs of global Christianity took place here, in cities whose ruins and living neighborhoods still exist today.
- First Council of Nicaea (325) – Affirmed Christ’s divinity and created the Nicene Creed.
- First Council of Constantinople (381) – Expanded the Creed, affirming the Trinity.
- Council of Ephesus (431) – Declared Mary as Theotokos (“God-bearer”), rejecting Nestorianism.
- Council of Chalcedon (451) – Defined Christ as having two natures: fully divine and fully human.
- Second Council of Constantinople (553) – Reaffirmed Chalcedon’s stance and refined Christological doctrine.
- Third Council of Constantinople (680–681) – Rejected the Monothelite heresy, emphasizing Christ’s two wills.
- Second Council of Nicaea (787) – Restored the veneration of icons after the period of Iconoclasm.
Taken together, these seven Ecumenical Councils defined Christian orthodoxy for centuries to come—and all of them unfolded on Turkish soil. To speak of the early church’s great theological struggles and breakthroughs is, in many ways, to tell the story of Anatolia itself: a meeting place of cultures, empires, and enduring faith.
The Second Council of Nicaea and the Battle Over Images
The Second Council of Nicaea, held more than four centuries after the first, addressed the fierce Iconoclast Controversy — whether religious icons should be venerated or destroyed. The council ultimately sided with the Iconodules, declaring icons sacred “windows into heaven.”
Echoes of Islam: A Subtle Influence
By the 8th century, Islam had already reshaped the spiritual landscape of the Near East. Its strict monotheism and avoidance of imagery challenged Christian thinkers to reflect on their own practices. Islamic art expressed divine beauty through calligraphy, geometry, and abstraction — focusing on meaning rather than form.
The Byzantine struggle over icons may have been partly influenced by this Islamic aesthetic. The final decision to restore icons at Nicaea reaffirmed Christianity’s unique balance between symbol and spirit, yet also reflected a growing interfaith dialogue that continues to this day.
The Great Schism: A Faith Divided
In 1054 AD, the Great Schism formally split Christianity into the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Pope Leo XIV’s decision to visit Nicaea instead of Istanbul carries deep symbolism — a gesture toward unity, returning to a time before division.
Faith Before Faiths: Judaism in Anatolia
Long before the rise of Christianity, Anatolia already embraced monotheism. The synagogue at Sardis, near modern-day Manisa, stands as proof of a thriving Jewish community. Judaism’s belief in one God made it arguably the first monotheistic faith to take root in Anatolia, paving the way for both Christianity and Islam.
- St. Paul traveled extensively through Anatolia, founding some of the earliest Christian communities in places like Antioch, Konya, and Ephesus.
- Near Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary is believed to be where she spent her final years — a revered site for both Christians and Muslims.
- In Konya, according to tradition, Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, built one of the earliest churches in the world, marking Anatolia as a birthplace of organized Christian worship.
Atatürk, Secularism, and the Denied Papal Visit
In the 1920s, when a papal visit was proposed, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk declined. His newly founded Republic sought modernity and secularism, free from religious interference. Yet this secular vision also preserved İznik’s sacred silence — a space where ideas, not dogmas, endure.
Why Nicaea (İznik) Still Matters
As Pope Leo XIV prepares to walk through İznik’s ancient gates at late November 2025, the symbolism is profound. This visit bridges faiths and centuries — reminding us that Anatolia has always been more than a crossroads of empires. It is a crossroads of belief, where Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each found a home.
Visiting İznik Today
Explore the Ayasofya of İznik, where the Second Council convened.
Walk along the ancient city walls and Roman theater.
Admire the world-famous İznik tiles — Ottoman art at its finest.
Enjoy local hospitality by the serene lakeside, where history and faith still whisper.
Get In Touch With Us
Do you want to visit Nicaea when the Pope is visiting? Let’s make it happen.
Oh wow – this is incredible, thank you so much for sharing the details of his holiness’ itinerary. I might actually look up flights and make it then! See you soon (hopefully)!
Hey Lilly! It’s great that you enjoyed our blog post. Please let us know if you need anything with your trip to Iznik. Especially if you’d be interested in a guided tour of Nicaea during your visit.