One of the benefits of a global pandemic is how the earth recovers, and the beauty we rediscover when that happens.
An ancient underwater church that has been submerged beneath a Turkish
lake for more than 1,600 years is finally visible the following lockdown
Beneath the clear water of Lake Iznik in the western region of Turkey,
a gigantic structure has been spotted for the first time in 1,600 years..
An ancient church, that has been submerged beneath the Turkish lake for
more than 1,600 years, is now visible due to a sharp decrease in water
pollution.
The nationwide lockdown triggered by the coronavirus pandemic cleared
up the water pollution in the region. Now, an aerial photo clearly shows the
Roman-style church beneath the clear water of the lake. The pictures, taken by
a drone, show the huge walls of the structures and the ruins that appear to be
beneath a layer of algae.
According to reports, the ancient ruins of the church were discovered
in 2014 and regarded as one of the top 10 discoveries of the year by the
Archaeological Institute of America. The church – known as Basilica – was built
around 390 AD when Istanbul was called Constantinople, according to
archaeologists.
Archaeologists, historians and art historians estimate the religious
structure collapsed during an earthquake in 740, before sinking further into
the lake.
The submerged building currently lies between 1.5-2metres below the
surface and can be clearly seen for the first time, as the coronavirus lockdown
has resulted in less water pollution.
The local authority recently flew a drone over the site to take
stunning images, revealing the basilica’s walls and structure just below the
lake surface.
Beautiful aerial pics reveal the 1,600-year-old basilica discovered
under Lake Iznik in near crystal clear water.
Head of Archaeology Department at Uludag University, Professor Mustafa
Şahin, said:
“When I first saw the images of the lake, I was quite surprised to see
a church structure that clearly. I was doing field surveys in Iznik [since
2006], and I hadn’t discovered such a magnificent structure like that.”
Experts believe the Byzantine-era basilica was built in honour of St.
Neophytos, a saint and martyr who lived during the time of the Roman emperors
Diocletian and Galerius.
Neophytos died at the hands of Roman soldiers in 303 AD, just one
decade before an official proclamation was brought in to ensure religious
tolerance for Christians living within the Roman Empire. Şahin believes the
church was built at the very same spot where Neophytos met his end.
And, there might be a pagan temple beneath the church, reports The
Weather Channel.
Researchers have uncovered fragments of an ancient lamp and early coins
from the reign of the emperor Antoninus Pius – indicating a more historic
structure buried under the church.
Sahin said he believed the basilica could have been built on top of a
temple to Apollo.
And now, we can once again appreciate the historic remains of a past
that carved itself into the earth.
Source : mysticalraven.com
0 Comments