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Heracles Rock Relief (Iznik)

It is located approximately 2.5 km. north-east of the Iznik district center in the Deliktaş area. It is adjacent to the south-east of Deliktaş, which is estimated to have been a sacred ceremonial place in ancient times and gives its name to the site. The road from Iznik to Sansarak village leads to the quarry at Sarıtaş. It is a figure of Heracles in low relief on the eastern surface of the rocky mass about 10 meters below Deliktaş. The height of the Heracles relief is 1.60 meters.  

Bithynia Excavation Site

The excavation site, located opposite the Hometown Hospital, is the site where the palace of the Bithynian Empire, which founded Bursa, was located and where investigations were carried out on the history of Bursa dating back to ages ago.

Orhangazi Ilıpınar Mound Excavation Site

The excavations at Ilipinar Mound, located approximately 2 km south of Orhangazi District, revealed ten layers from the top of the hill to the main soil. The lowest layer is the Late Neolithic Age layer with the culture of Hacılar and Fikirtepe. It is dated to the end of the 6th millennium BC.

Iznik Tile Kilns

It is known that Iznik gained fame in the art of tiling during the Ottoman period. Quality pots and pans were also being made in Iznik in the Byzantine period. Most of the uniquely beautiful wall tiles in terms of pattern, color and technique, which adorn important buildings built in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries, were produced in Iznik tile kilns. In addition, the dazzlingly beautiful plates, bowls, cups, oil lamps and mugs, many of which are among the most valuable objects in European and American museums and collections, were also made in Iznik kilns. For this reason, Iznik was called “Çin-i Maçin-i Rum” (i.e., the Çin-i Maçin of Anatolia).

The existence of tile kilns in Iznik was first identified in 1965 and three kilns were unearthed during excavations that year. Today, excavations continue.

Dörttepeler Tumulus (Iznik)

The tumulus, which is 9 m. high and 110 m. in circumference, is on natural rocks in a walled area in Elbeyli Town of Iznik, which is now used as Elbeyli Cemetery. Since it was divided into four separate hills due to road works carried out in the past years, it is known as “Dörttepeler” among the people.

Hipoje (İznik)

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The catacombs are known to date from the 4th and 5th centuries. The ceiling and walls are covered with colorful frescoes typical of the Early Christian Period, and the colors are still vivid in the composition with peacocks.

İznik Berber Rock Mausoleum

The road extends from Lefke Gate to the east, with the city cemetery to the north and a water canal to the south. The narrow road leads through vineyards and gardens to the grave of Abdulvahap Sancaktarı. On the first slope of Elmalı Mountain, where the road extends, 17 pieces of a dark gray limestone burial chamber known as “Berber Kaya” are scattered around and on the slope. It is known that this region was used as a necropolis during the Bithynian, Roman and Byzantine periods and that the sarcophagus of C. Cassius Chrestus, who built the city gates, was found in this region. It was sculpted from a single rock mass. It is the only artifact belonging to the Hellenistic Age in Iznik. It is known that this monumental tomb, which the local people call “Berber Rock”, was built for Prusias II (185-149 BC), the king of Bithynia, who was captured and killed in Nikaia, where he took refuge to escape from his son. It was determined that the front part of the monumental burial chamber was not here, the back part, which stood for many years, was dynamited by treasure enthusiasts in 1953 and some of it was covered with soil later. The back wall of the burial chamber is 4.38 m. wide, 3.90 m. high and about 5 m. long. European travelers who came to this region in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw this monumental tomb and gave it a prominent place in their writings and paintings. In the eighteenth century, R. Pococke had the chance to see the entire burial chamber and gave its dimensions as 14 feet 6 inches in length and 12 feet 10 inches in width.

Stair Rock (Iznik)

It is located on the headland on the southwestern slope of the Pine Grove Hill, between Iznik-Elbeyli Town, Hespekli locality, between Iznik-Elbeyli highway. On 16.11.1992, it was registered as Merdivenli Kaya by the Bursa Regional Conservation Board and defined as a “ceremonial site”. The stairs rise to the northeast with steps around 30 cm in height on the bedrock. It consists of 4+11 steps, totaling 15 steps. The platform where the steps are located measures 2×4 m. The bedrock is flattened after the top step. This suggests that this area may have been used for religious purposes in the Ancient Age. In the western and eastern sections of the stairs, it was observed that the bedrock was shaved in places and smooth and rectangular areas were opened. It is not known for sure whether these shaved areas were made to give a religious function to the bedrock or whether they were formed during the quarrying of stones. The area in question was later used as a quarry. Numerous traces of chisels, picks and stone cutting slots on the stone surfaces indicate this.

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