Inserts:

00:03 Report / Julia Hahn 
00:34 Mevlut Dag / Iznik tile artist 
01:20 Julia Hahn / DW Correspondent / Iznik 
01:45 Mustafa Sahin / Archaeologist / Bursa Uludag University 
02:25 Blandine Muller / French tourist
02:50 Murat Osman Kaptan / Iznik tile artist

TEXT: 

+++drone shot Iznik town

+++ATMO call to prayer

00:02
The small Turkish town of Iznik, a few hours drive from Istanbul, doesn't immediately look like a crucial site in Christian history…

+++street scenes, tile shops

00:13
It's known for its beautiful Ottoman-style tiles and ceramics.

+++Christian motifs on tiles

00:18
But now, ome shops are offering new designs with Christian motifs.

+++Mevlüt takes dust of tile work

00:25
Mevlüt Dağ (pronounced: Da-a) shows us a few he made especially for the papal visit.

00:32
+++Mevlut Dag / Iznik tile artist (Turkish) - starts under picture
This tile here shows Jesus' Last Supper. It's the work of one person and it took a month and a half to complete it. Ceramics is a difficult craft, which is why we are very happy that it came out so beautifully.+++ (18 sec)

+++Nicaea tile made by Mevlüt

00:49
And this one depicts the First Council of Nicaea, which took place here 1,700 years ago. THAT is why the Pope is coming to Iznik. 

+++Nicaea historical images, Music

01:00
In 325 AD, Constantine the Great gathered hundreds of bishops here from across the Roman Empire. They drew up the first official declaration of Christian faith. It's known as the Nicene Creed, and remains foundational for Christians around the world to this day.

01:16
+++PTC Julia Hahn / DW Correspondent, in Iznik
The First Council of Nicaea is widely seen as the most important and influential meeting in Christian history. And yet, its actual location was - until very recently - unknown.+++ (10 sec)

+++Mustafa and Julia among ruins + handout of underwater excavations, 

01:28
In 2014, archaeologist Mustafa Şahin (pronounced: Scha-hin) discovered these ruins of an ancient Roman basilica. He tells me he was looking at aerial photos, when he spotted the foundations of a large church – in the lake. 

01:44
+++Professor Mustafa Sahin / Archaeologist / Bursa Uludag University (Turkish) 
We conducted underwater excavations here for six to seven years - with divers two meters below the surface of the lake But due to global warming, the water level receded over time, and this structure was exposed.+++ (19 sec)

02:04
Şahin and his team have established that the basilica was built in the late fourth century — and they believe it's on the very site where the First Council of Nicaea was held.
 
+++Tourists at open-air museum
 
02:15
An open-air museum has recently been set up on the lakeside promenade, where visitors can look at the ruins.

02:23
+++SOT Blandine Muller, tourist from France (English)
I'm here because I'm a pilgrim. I'm going to Jerusalem on a road trip, and we wanted to visit important places for Christianity, and this city is one of them.+++ (12 sec)

+++street scenes Iznik

02:36
Iznik today is a sleepy town with less than 50,000 residents - and no remaining Christian community. Some are hoping the Pope's stopover will shine an international spotlight here. 

+++Murat does something 

02:49
+++Murat Osman Kaptan / Iznik tile artist +++ (Turkish)
I believe that people will come to Iznik once they learn of its existence. And I predict a significant increase in the number of foreign tourists. Of course, we will benefit from this. People will come here for shopping, and decorate their homes with our products.+++ (17 sec)

+++tiles, then drone shot Iznik

03:07
A papal visit to celebrate Iznik's Christian past… might well lease new life into this small town's future.  

Text ends: 03:14
Pix end: 03:18