Izmit’s Ancient Churches Found – but Where are They?

Historically, many churches existed in ancient Izmit – Nicomedia. Where were the ancient churches of Izmit? Let’s look at the little evidence that remains to give us insight into where the churches were.

The list of Ancient Churches of Kocaeli

An official report on the findings from Izmit Archeology, covering the years 2005 to 2017, indicates that 15 churches exist among the ruins.^[1]https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3567189 The city of ancient Nicomedia (now Izmit) is known to have at least 10 churches identified through archaeological and literary sources. This list is the 10 that we know of, however, one of the churches mentioned in historical records may correspond to one of those discovered during the archaeological dig. The challenge we face is that the three churches found underground remain unidentified in terms of their historical names.

The final row on the right lists “kilise,” which means “church,” and from 2005 to 2017, the research has identified 15 different church sites in the region.

Evidence of a Church Today

There is evidence that the church existed in this area from the 1st century, so what remains for us to see? The Archaeology Museum in Kocaeli displays many Byzantine pillars and panels, which lie in the courtyard to showcase the prominence of the church in this city.

Some websites say there is no church in Izmit today. This is not true for a Protestant church functioning in the city.^[2] https://izmitkilisesi.com.tr/hakkinda-2/ Izmit, called Nicomedia, was an important military location that faced numerous raids over the centuries.

Below is my walking tour of Byzantine sites in this city.

The Byzantine Church in Nicomedia spoke Greek, and the invasions destroyed many sites. Also, earthquakes buried a lot of ruins. The Greeks lived along the shoreline, so let’s start in this area.

Hagios Panteleimon Monastery

In many Greek locations, the church named many religious sites Panteleimon. In Greek, Panteleimon (Παντελεήμων) means the one who is all-merciful and compassionate. The name is derived from the Greek word for “all” (πᾶν, pan) and “mercy” (ἔλεος, eleos), and is famously associated with the name of Saint Panteleimon, who was from Nicomedia. He is a revered Christian martyr and healer known for his acts of kindness and healing without charge. Since this monastery had a church and much land, and we know that Greeks lived along the western shorelines, it is possible that this monastery was located somewhere near the current Kocaeli Archeology Museum and Seka Park. Some say this monastery hosted the Hagia Vasilissa Church, which was near the shoreline. This general knowledge will lead us to the locations of some of these churches.

In my next write up, we will seek to find at least 10 of these churches that they have found. The list covers an area larger than Izmit but let’s see if we can find at least 10 in this ancient city of Nicomedia.