Iznik is a historical town with lots of medieval mosques and Byzantine monuments. Once called Nicaea, the small town on the shore of Lake Iznik is famous for its glazed porcelain, tiles and china wares. Together with Kutahya, they formed the core of Turkey's tile and porcelain industry. Nowadays, most of the decorative ceramic and glazed tiles production activities have been shifted to Kutahya; only a few independent workshops selling hand-painted Iznik tiles remain in the centre of Iznik. There is a small museum set up by the Iznik Tiles Foundation, near the shore of the Lake of Iznik, dedicated to the preservation and development of the art of tile painting in the area.
Iznik has had a glorious past. It was one of the most important cities of the Byzantine Empire. It was also an important religious centre, the seat of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the birthplace of the Nicene Creed, and a former interim capital of the Byzantine Empire between 1204 and 1261 during the upheaval caused by the Fourth Crusade.
