Nakhati Jon

Examining Marriage, History and Culture

Archives for June 2025

Walking the Ancient Ruins of Nicaea (Iznik, Türkiye)

Nicaea - Iznik, Byzantine History

This entry is part 1 of 8 in the series Walking the Ancient City of Nicea
Walking tour of Iznik

2025 is 1700 years since the Nicene Creed was formed. The city of Nicaea offers many insights into the history of Christianity for those willing to seek them out. This tour will visit the key spots that tell the story of what happened since the time of the Nicene Creed. A good two-day visit will provide enough time to visit all the main ruins of this city. Here is my Google map walking tour.

Mark Wilson said, “The Modern name İznik is an abbreviated Turkish version of eis Nikaia.“[1]Biblical Turkey: A guide to the Jewish & Christian sites of Asia Minor, 2010. This phrase is the Latin for “into Nicaea.” Now, most people know this name (Iznik) as the location of famous Ottoman ceramics.

Council of 325

The Council of 325 decided many important theological issues, especially concerning the unity of the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ. These early believers sought to define their understanding of Scripture by formulating doctrinal statements that would bring unity and focus to the church.[2]https://earlychurchtexts.com/public/creed_of_nicaea_325.htm There is still some debate on the location of the council meeting in a religious setting before moving to the Nicaea palace for greater space.

In my walking tour, I visit the Northern Walls, the Iznik Hagia Sophia, the Sunken (now partially exposed) Byzantine Basilica, and the Iznik Courtyard Museum. This page begins the write-ups, and please see my other blogs for more details.

The (Un-) Sunken Basilica of Neophantos

Youtube Exploration of this site:

Walking tour map of Ancient Nicea. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1s2OfrX7zySILIBLY98lQphorMbHQUzk&usp=sharing

References

References
↑1Biblical Turkey: A guide to the Jewish & Christian sites of Asia Minor, 2010.
↑2https://earlychurchtexts.com/public/creed_of_nicaea_325.htm

Key Displays on Rudaki Street in Dushanbe

Culture, Tajikistan, Central Asia

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Hidden Crosses of Tajikistan

When ever I visit Tajikistan, I always enjoy a walk down Rudaki street. On and near this street are a few very interesting displays or monuments that every visitor should see.

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Something amiss – Cultural gone awry at Starbucks

Updates, Culture

Walking into Starbucks after our years in Central Asia, I knew something was amiss – the culture had gone awry. In language learning, we are taught to speak the language of those we have come to serve. Even culture anthropology says that “we should seek to understand another person’s beliefs and behaviors from the perspective of their culture rather than our own.”[1] https://pressbooks.pub/perspectives/chapter/the-culture-concept/ Yet, I had to learn a new language and culture at Starbucks.

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References

References
↑1 https://pressbooks.pub/perspectives/chapter/the-culture-concept/