How to read this monument?
Lefke Gate is the entrance of the city to the east and the historical Lefke-Osmaneli road. Although it has a similar defensive structure to the Istanbul Gate, it offers a different reading with its corridor-shaped passage, inscriptions and spolia reliefs. The fact that today's road level has risen from the ancient level clearly shows how the city has been layered over the centuries.
Don't miss
Examine separately the outer passage and the inner corridor between the two cylindrical towers.
Look at the arch area with Greek inscriptions indicating the Hadrianic period.
Look for second-used antique stone and figural frieze pieces on the walls.
Kılıçaslan Street, extending west from the gate, follows the ancient east-west axis.
historical background
Lefke Gate (Porta Leucas) is the historical entrance gate that protects the eastern axis of Iznik and through which the Silk Road trade caravans entered the city. It has a three-eyed triumphal arch architecture built during the periods of Hadrian and Gallienus.
Alternating brick-stone masonry techniques and water channel passage traces from the Early Ottoman and Byzantine periods on the gate have survived to the present day.
Its magnificent bastions, which have been restored today, offer a fascinating view at sunset, where historical tiles and stone coverings sparkle with golden light.
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