Today was not a great day but necessary for us. Since 8:00 we were on the bus with the trip punctuated with beybayarn stops (that 's Turkish for toilet.
We called in to see the Hagia Sophia Mosque at Iznik (home of the renown blue tiles used inside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul) this mosque began its life as a Byzantine Basilica, Santa Maria, in the 4th century. During the Ottoman rule it was converted into a Muslim mosque. Evidence of Christian mosaics are still visible.
Remains of a fresco depicting Jesus. Remains of saintly frescos. You can just make out
The Bishop & Fr Andrew
The church is now a mosque.
Evidence of early Christian frescos.
We also found a few ruins in Nicaea. This was the site of the first ecumenical council that eventually produced the Nicaean Creed that we use today to profess our faith. Some 280 bishops of the 1st century church attended. By tonight we will reach the technical end to our pilgrimage in Istanbul where we will explore the city and perhaps even do some shopping.
This car ferry will save at least a few hours drive towards Istanbul.
Posted with Blogsy
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