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TURKEY-VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE

This aerial photograph shows remains of the sunken Byzantine Basilica of the Holy Fathers on the shore of Lake Iznik, in Iznik, on October 31, 2025. When it was discovered a decade ago, the ancient 4th-century basilica of Nicaea was totally submerged, its importance to early Christian history hidden beneath the waters of a lake in northwestern Turkey. Now, the church — located in Iznik, a small town several hours from Istanbul — stands on dry land, its ruined structure gradually exposed as the waters of the lake that covered it for over 1,000 years have receded as a result of climate change. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)