Basilica in Lake ?znik to become underwater museum

The remains of a nearly 1,600-year-old basilica that was discovered at the beginning of last year under Lake ?znik in the northwestern province of Bursa is now set to become an underwater museum. 

The underwater museum project, approved by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, will be carried out by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, the sponsor of the project.  

Uluda? University Head of Archaeology Department Professor Mustafa ?ahin said the ba-silica had been discovered while photographing the city from the air to make an inventory of historical and cultural artifacts. 
Archaeologists, historians and art historians estimate that the structure collapsed during an earthquake that occurred in the region in 740. They determined that it was built in hon-or of St. Neophytos, who was among the saints and devout Christians who were martyred during the time of Roman emperors Diocletian and Galerius, when bans and punishments against Christians were common. According to resources, Neophytos was a saint who was killed by Roman soldiers in A.D. 303, 10 years before the Edict of Milan, a proclamation that permanently established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire.

?ahin said the church was established with his name in the place where he was killed. The date of the church construction was not precisely determined but it could have been built after 313, according to ?ahin.
?There is one more date, which is important for us. Most probably, it could have been built in 325 after the first council meeting in ?znik. In any case, we think that the church was built in the 4th century or a further date. It is interesting that we have gravures from the Middle Ages depicting this killing. We see Neophytos being killed on the lake...