Tiles, Walls and the Lakeshore in İznik

İznik is a walled town on a lakeshore that has stood in the same place for two thousand years. It was Nikaia under Rome, a seat of empire for a period under Byzantium, and under the Ottomans the source of the finest tiles in the world. That it belongs to Bursa surprises most visitors; it is eighty kilometres from the city centre.

Getting there: an hour and a half by car from Bursa via Yenişehir. Buses run regularly from the intercity terminal. For those coming from İstanbul the Yalova ferry is a shorter route. The town is entirely walkable, so parking and leaving the car is easiest.

The day: enter through the İstanbul Gate; the walls still stand and three of the four main gates can be visited. The Hagia Sophia at the centre was first built as a Byzantine church, hosted the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 and was later converted to a mosque; the floor mosaics and traces of fresco remain visible. The turquoise tiles on the minaret of the Green Mosque are among the earliest examples of İznik work. In the afternoon move to the excavated tile kilns and the museum, where the development of the technique is explained. End the day by the lake, where a path follows the shore and the sunset lasts a long time over the water.

Eating: catfish and carp from the lake are fresh in the shoreline restaurants. İznik olives are well regarded locally and can be bought from the producers.

Tips: if you plan to buy tiles, visit the workshops. Genuine İznik tile has a quartz body, costs more than ceramic, and the masters are glad to explain the difference. Spring and autumn are the best seasons.