Visiting Turkey 1,700 years after the Nicene Creed was adopted

It’s hard to imagine Christianity without the Nicene Creed.

Regular churchgoers will surely know all or some of the words — “I believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth …” — even if they don’t know the origin of what’s recited almost every Sunday by most Christians worldwide. 

Seventeen hundred years ago, what became the defining statement of Christianity was adopted in Nicaea (present-day Iznik, Turkey). Back then, Iznik was an outpost of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine the Great in what used to be called Asia Minor.

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Constantine, who in 313 legalized Christianity, convened a council of more than 300 bishops between May and July 325 to debate and settle major issues, including the Arian heresy, that were rocking the church.

In short, Arianism held that Jesus Christ was merely a creation of God and, therefore, not divine. In response, the council affirmed the holy, most blessed and undivided Trinity; that is to say, the belief in one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. While supplemented with additional text at a subsequent council in 381 and later translated and retranslated, one of the most widely used English versions with its 227 words remains basically unchanged to this very day.

In the following centuries, the council under Constantine became known as the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. For context, the Great Schism that divided Christendom into the Latin West based in Rome and the Orthodox East based in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) didn’t happen until 1054. Meanwhile, 1,192 years passed before Martin Luther commenced the Reformation. 

While the church is no longer one united church, Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox denominations can find unity despite their many differences because of the creed emphasizing Jesus, the “only-begotten Son of God.”

The 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed is even more noteworthy because in a remarkable coincidence this year all Christians will celebrate Easter on the same day (April 20) for the first time since 2017.

As I discovered when I visited last month, Turkey or Türkiye, as the name of the country has been spelled since 2022, has arguably the most extensive Christian history outside the Holy Land. In fact, Holy Scripture says it was in Antioch (present-day Antakya) where Christians were first called Christians.

Of course, Turkey today is not a Christian country. 

Five hundred and seventy-two years after the Ottomans conquered Constantinople — the last vestige of the Roman Empire — official Turkish government statistics record 99% of the population as Muslim. Whether all those Muslims practice their faith is another question.

As with anywhere, religiosity can and does vary by region, though I’m told the number of Turks who regularly go to mosque for Islamic prayers is well under half the population. It’s true that Turkey has become less secular in recent years, though the widespread consumption of alcohol, particularly Turkey’s well-regarded wines, might surprise some visitors.

In a practical sense, Turkey’s Muslim identity means that many of the ancient churches were converted into mosques at the time of the Ottoman conquest and later into museums upon the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the constitutionally secular Turkish republic have once again become mosques. This has caused controversy as many believe former Christian churches should be museums.

The most famous of these mosques is Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia with its magnificent blend of architectural styles.

I didn’t find its restoration as a mosque to be that big of an issue. After all, Roman Catholics might have similar complaints about the churches and cathedrals in England and elsewhere in Protestant Europe that were expropriated at the Reformation. Regardless, non-Muslims can still visit in a way that balances historical, architectural and artistic interests with the religious interests of Muslims.

One real issue for devout Christians on a pilgrimage is the lack of places to worship. While there are Anglican, Lutheran, Evangelical Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in Istanbul, that isn’t the case elsewhere in Turkey.

Iznik is one such place without a church, despite its history. Supposedly, there are plans to build a space where Christians on a pilgrimage can reverently say prayers or celebrate the sacrament of the mass, eucharist, holy communion or Lord’s supper. Still, I saw nothing to indicate that something would be built before the expected wave of visitors later this year.

One of those expected visitors is Pope Francis. Last year, the Vatican announced the bishop of Rome would join Archbishop Bartholomew I, the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, in Iznik for commemorations on May 24-25. As of this writing, it’s unclear if the visit will proceed as planned, as the pope has been hospitalized since mid-February, though he was discharged from the hopsital on Sunday.

If you go

So many civilizations and cultures have left their mark on this country at the crossroads of East and West.

Getting here is easy since flag-carrier Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other airline. 

Istanbul is the most-populated city with around 15.7 million inhabitants, but it hasn’t been the capital since the Ottoman Empire collapsed after its defeat in World War I. Faruk Pekin’s 600-page “Istanbul: Secrets of the City” is the best English language guidebook for pre-trip reading.

Three or four days is the absolute minimum for Istanbul. Book a room at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet if you can afford it. Otherwise, the JW Marriott with its sweeping views of the Bosphorus is recommended.

Plan on a half-day at the magnificent Hagia Sophia and then another half-day at the former churches of Hagia Irene (still a museum, not a mosque) and Kariye Mosque, the latter of which has some of the most exquisite Christian frescoes and mosaics that I’ve ever seen; another day to wander the Grand Bazaar and people watch over coffee or a glass of Turkish wine at cafes and restaurants; and one or two days to see major museums, including Topkapi Palace, the Archaeology Museum and Basilica Cistern.

Also, don’t overlook the Patriarchal Cathedral Church of St. George, the seat of the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. This is the Orthodox equivalent of Canterbury Cathedral for Anglicans and the Vatican for Roman Catholics.

Most tourists who make the two-hour journey from Istanbul to Iznik, a smallish city facing Lake Iznik and surrounded by olive groves, arrive by tour bus and stop for a couple of hours before continuing to their next destination. Not spending time in the place where the Nicene Creed was adopted is incredibly foolish, especially for anyone on a religious pilgrimage.  

If you go, spend at least one or two nights. That will give you time at the major attractions: the excellent Iznik Museum; the partially submerged ruins of a basilica-style church thought to have been used at the council in 325; Hagia Sophia, a sixth century church-turned-mosque-turned-museum-turned-mosque that hosted the Second Council of Nicaea in 787; and ancient city walls with their impressive gates dating to the Romans. For a hotel, both the Eleia Hotel and Limnades Hotel are recommended. 

One of the more noteworthy group tours is sponsored by the Anglican and Eastern Churches Association, which promotes Anglican-Orthodox ecumenism and unity. Jointly led by the Most Rev. Nikitas Loulias, Orthodox archbishop of Thyateira and Great Britain, and the Right Rev. and Right Hon. Lord Chartres, former Anglican bishop of London, the pilgrimage from April 28 to May 7 is still bookable through Tutku Educational Travel.

Another commemorative event is the Nicea Conference from Oct. 22-25 in Istanbul with the Rev. Al Mohler, a prominent Southern Baptist theologian, and other Evangelicals. 

Solo travelers or couples with some knowledge of history probably don’t need a guide, especially in Istanbul. With that said, a guide in Turkey is money well spent. Turkish guides are among the best in the world, thanks to high education requirements and rigid testing.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.