To Turks, the sleepy lakeside resort of Iznik provides a respite from the sweltering summer sun; to Christendom, Iznik sits atop modern-day Nicaea, the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire during its period of exile following its ouster by the Crusaders, site of the 1st and 2nd Councils of Nicaea, and location of the 1st and 7th Ecumenical Councils. It's also synonymous with Ottoman ceramic art, which reached its pinnacle in the 15th and 16th centuries during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent. While you're here, you should take the time to have lunch at one of the lakeside restaurants.
