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According to Strabon (BC. 65-AD. 23), the famous geographer of the Ancient Ages, Iznik was founded on BC.316 by Antigonos Monophthalmos (Single Eye), one of the cominandeis that struggled to get the inheritance of Alexander the Great. In accordance with the traditions of that age, Iznik was called as "Antigoneia" because of its founder Antigonos. But this knowledge is doubtful, because before Alexander the Great and Antigonos, Homer(BCc 9.), the epic poet, mentioned about Askanian combatant, who supported the defence of Troia against the first imperialists of the history in the Ancient Age, Ascania Limne was the name of Lake Iznik. Ascania might have been today's Iznik or a place around Iznik. The district from Golayagi to Gemlik - Kios was known as Ascanios. Inheritors of Alexander the Great struggled with each other to bring the Empire under their sovereignty. Antigonia could exist only for 15 years. When Lysimakhthalmos won the "Hypsos War" in BC. 301, he captured the city. He repaired and rebuilt the city and according to his time's traditions,changed the name of the city from Antigonia to Nicaia after his beloved wife's name Nike,which means "country of victory". It is difficult to say if this historical process might have been true or false. But the recent archeological excavations have shown that there was an ancient settlement, was supposed to belonged to the Early Bronze Age near Lake Iznik. According to Iliad of Homeros, there was an ancient city on the land of Iznik or around Iznik in BC. 1250. Consequently, it can be said that first Antigoneia, then Nicaia was founded on an ancient lonian city ruins. Thus today, Iznik is one of the places that reflect the characteristic features of an ancient lonian style. The city has been located around two main roads that are crossed just like a plus symbol (+). One of the mainroad, is lying on the north-south direction, indicates the Gate Istanbul and Yenisehir; the other main-road, lying on the east-west direction, goes to Lefke and Gate Gol (Lake). At the end of BC. 3rd century, Zipoites (BC. 327-279) the leader of Bithyns, which were dominant on the region at that time, captured Nicaia. So, during the next 25 years, the city witnessed three different sovereigns and three wars. After the last Bithynia King Nikomedes IV. (BC. 91-74) had died, according to his will,Roman Empire wanted to bring his country under sovereignty. But Mithridates the Great( BC. 132-63) resisted to both Nikomedes' will and Roman Empire. Lasting for long years, the war damaged especially Bithynia. Cities of Bithynia fell into ruins. At the end of the war, Mithridates was defeated by the Roman armies of Commander Lucullus, near Myrlea (Mudanya). Bithynia became unprotected. After Lucullus had set Myrlea on fire, then he went to east and conquered Prusa ( Bursa) and Nikaia in BC. 72. After the conquest, the beatiful lake city was known as Nicaea. During the period of Roman dominance, Nicaea developed and became one of the most important cities in the region. At the same time, it was an administrative center of “Pontus et Bithynia" province. Both in Roman Empire and Byzantium Empire, Nicaea developed politically and religiously. The city became a place in which both political and religious decision makers assembled on crisis times. Nicaea had this characteristic both during the era of paganists and the era of monotheists. Before Christianity, the last "paganist resistance" of the Roman Empire, happened in Nicaea in AD 303. When Christianity began to menace dominant ideology, Diocletianus (284-305), one of the last powerfull emperors, published the "Decrees of Nicaea". By these decrees, the ways of worshipment to "Augustus" (emperors) were tied down; participation to the "sacrife ceremony" became an obligation not only for pagans but also for Christians. So,Iznik was the last castle in which paganism resisted, after 303 years from the birth of Jesus. In spite of "Decrees of Nicaea" , pagan emperors couldn't resist anymore.However after 10 years, Constantinus the Great (306-337) recognized Christianity and declared Christianity - The Official State Religion" in 313. Because he needed the supports of Christians to defeat his rivaIs in the Empire. He published the "Decree of Milano" with Licinius. By this decree, Christians who supported the Emperor, had some privileges. But when Christianity became the official religion of the state, it also did not tolerate any opposite thoughts or opponents.Nobody was allowed to comment on the Bible. After 12 years, the First Council of Christianity assembled in Iznik in 325 (August 25). This meeting was known as the First Ecumenical Council.  At this First Council ,that was held in Senatus Palace of Iznik in 325, Areios' (Arian) thesis was discussed. According to this thesis, Areios claimed that the traditions of paganism were continuing in the Holy Trinity of Christianity.But this thesis was in conflict with the central power's ideology. Approximately 200-250 religious leaders that assembled under presidency of Hasios, the Metropolitan of Cordoba, argued Arieos's thesis. But although 17 religious leaders agreed with Arieos's thesis, it was rejected by the majority. The Senatus palace in which the First Council of Christianity was held, was near Lake Iznik in the place of today's Inciralti Gazino. Some visible parts of this Palace are under water now. 
Some historians pretend that after the First Council, Areios was killed because of his thoughts and his grave may have been in St. Sophia Church of Iznik. When the BYZANTIUM EMPIRE was founded, Nicaea became the administrative center of "Thema of Opsikion" in the North-West Anatolia and presented this peculiarity during the Byzantium period. After the birth of Islam, and Islam-Arab armies had begun to threaten Byzantium. Nicaea,a castle on the Silk road, became more important. Islam-Arab armies besieged Nikaia in 717 for the first time. After 727. the armies continued to besiege the city every year. But in 740, Byzantium overcame the Arab army and Islam-Arab pressure was disappeared for a while. At the end of the 8th century. the struggles between the two sides increased again. During the century, the city resisted the waves of Islam-Arab armies. 
At the end of 8th century,Byzantium Empire was in a crisis because of the struggles between the two different tendencies of Christianity. When the iconoclasts (the group who were against the icons), were victorius at the 6th Council in 754 in Istanbul, the crises in the Empire became more sophisticated, because Empress Eirene (780-802) supported the iconoduls(the group who defended the icons) to strengthen her power. For this purpose, she decided to summon a new Council in Istanbul. This was the 7th Council of the Christian world. With the Participation of the Pope's representatives, 7th Council was held at the Church of Saints in 786 in Istanbul. Although Empress Eirene acted with iconoduls, Byzantine army supported the iconoclasts. In the meeting, all iconoduls were insulted, and then the Council was distributed. But Eirene was so determined to finish this dispute between iconoclasts and iconoduls. One year later the 7th Council was held again at the Church of St.Sophia (AyaSofya) in Nicaea.This time, iconoclasts were cursed by iconoduls, because evetywhere in Nicaca was full of soldiers who came from Thrace and were loyal to the Empress deeply. Although 170 of the 300 religious leaders, who were invited to the Council, were iconoclasts only, most of them did not come to the Council and some were forced to be silent. After the Council had taken all decisions until the 23rd of October, it made its last session at the "Magnaura Hall" in the Palace in Constantinopolis and declared the decisions that condemned the iconoclastism. The Church of St.Sophia in which the 7th Council was held, is a ruin at the center of Iznik today. This historical building, transformed to be a mosque by Orhan 1, during the period of Ottoman Empire, have ruins of a minaret, was built by Sinan the Architect. Nicaea always had political importance during the periocls of Bithynia, whether Roman Empire and Byzantium Empire. Because of its situation on the West-East historical trade routes, Nicaea drew political attention, also. In every age, the political elites sometimes wanted to benefit from Nicaea's influence in the Christian world. This position caused some advantages for Nicaea, also. At the same time, Nicaea was known as a metropolis, because Valentinianus(364-375) who was recognized by the Byzantine army and had also declared himself as the Emperor after long struggles at Nicaea, had declared the city as METROPOLIS with his brother Valens (364-378), who was the governer of east countries of the Empire.So, afterwards, the city assumed by this nobility title. When Latins who participated in the fourth Crusade,choose to plunder Constantinopolis instead of fighting in Anatolia, they occupied the city and founded the LATIN EMPIRE.Byzantine dynasty escaped to Nicaea, and Nicaea became the administrative center of BYZANTIUM EMPIRE for 57 years. In Nicaea, after Theodoros Laskoris,four Emperors acceded.The last emperor of them, Michael VIII, conquered Constantinopolis in 1261 again and put an end to Latin Empire. So Constantinopolis became the capital city of Byzantium Empire again. Later, Nicaea lost its importance relatively. Orhan IV, the Sultan of Ottoman Empire, captured Nicaea in 1330 or 1331. The city's name changed to lZNIK again and became the capital city of OTTOMAN EMPIRE for a while. 
 
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