In the last few years, just off the shore of Lake İznik in northwestern Turkey, the remains of a 4th-century basilica dedicated to St. Neophytos have emerged after more than seven centuries beneath the water.
The basilica obviously wasn't built underwater, but archaeologists believe that it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1065, and the rising waters of the lake eventually submerged the ruins.
In 2014, images of the ruins were first seen, leading to teams of researchers looking into the area and beginning their studies (under water).
Now, time has brought the opposite effect and nature has, in this regard, lent a hand.
What was once five to seven feet underwater, some 100 feet offshore, now sits exposed as water levels drop — a powerful moment of history resurfacing.
And, particularly relevant this year, research on the ruins show that an earlier structure, which would have existed in 325, was underneath the current ruins.
Who is St. Neophytos?
This St. Neophytos is not to be confused with Neophytos of Cyprus. St. Neophytos of İznik was a young martyr of the early 4th century, traditionally said to have been killed during the Diocletian persecutions for refusing to take part in pagan sacrifices. His story echoes the experiences of many early Christians who faced escalating demands for public loyalty to the empire’s gods and, in moments of crisis, suffered imprisonment or execution when they refused.
Communities often honored these witnesses almost immediately, and studies indicate that an earlier wooden structure was built within years of his death, but did not last through the century. It is believed to have been destroyed in an earthquake in 358. However, during those few years, history was made there. The Council of Nicaea was held in 325.
The basilica that has resurfaced on Lake İznik was likely begun around 380 on the same spot, still honoring Neophytos; many other martyrs who were brutally tortured and buried at the site.
He is entirely distinct from Neophytos of Cyprus, a 12th-century monk and writer known for his ascetic life in the Troodos Mountains. That Neophytos founded the Engleistra hermitage, produced detailed spiritual commentaries, and left vivid descriptions of the Crusader era. The two share a name but belong to different eras, different regions, and different forms of Christian witness — one a teenage martyr, the other a seasoned monastic teacher.
Discovery and the assistance of nature
Archaeologists who first spotted the structure via aerial photography in 2014 described it as a classic basilican layout, complete with three naves, an eastern apse, a narthex and what appears to be a baptistery area. Over the following seasons, excavations uncovered graves surrounding the basilica — including some beneath what likely was a predecessor structure.
The discovery was thrilling for scholars and believers alike. After centuries of being lost beneath water, suddenly seeing the full footprint of a 4th- or 5th-century church emerge offered a tangible link to the early centuries of the Christian church.
Archaeologists even began speaking of the site as a key missing piece in understanding how devotion to St. Neophytos of İznik — and, thus, early Christian worship in the region — took root.
What made the find even more compelling was evidence of the earlier, smaller church under the basilica, hinting that the location was honored before the larger building went up. That continuity suggests Christians gathered, prayed, buried their dead, and venerated martyrs there from the earliest days of Nicaea’s Christian community.
As of 2025, the ruins are no longer submerged. Reports note that the lowering of the lake’s water level, attributed to prolonged drought and increased water use in the region, has left the basilica standing on dry ground.
That transition has made it far easier for archaeologists to document, preserve, and plan for public access — including the small museum on site.
The remains themselves — foundation walls, floors, and graves — are what survives. According to recent studies, the upper structure collapsed long ago. Yet even in their ruined form, the walls provide a footprint of the church’s original scale: a building significantly larger than many known local churches, with enough space to host large gatherings.
On November 28, 2025, the site received renewed attention when Pope Leo XIV visited İznik and prayed over the newly exposed ruins. The pontiff’s visit underscored both the spiritual heritage of the place and the fragile environmental reality behind its re-emergence.
For visitors today, the basilica offers a rare encounter with early Christian architecture and history. Amid the archaeological trenches and exposed foundations one senses the long-buried life of a Christian community — and the unusual journey of a church that sank beneath a lake and has now begun to rise again.
