Endnote 1 – Nicea’s Underwater Basilica
Evidence of ceramic production at the nearby archaeological sites of Çakirca Mound, Çiçekli Mound, Karadin Mound, and Üyecik Mound has been discovered dating back to the Chalcolithic Age (roughly 5000 B.C.E.). Tiles produced here during the 15th and 16th centuries C.E. represented the pinnacle of Ottoman culture and artistry. Iznik tiles from this period have decorated more than 40 Ottoman mosques and palaces, including the Sultanahmet Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque) and the Topkapi Palace (home of the Ottoman sultans).