One of the four main gates of Iznik (Nicaea) is the Istanbul Gate and most of it has survived until today. Before the restoration of the gate and the walls, this area was excavated between 2017 and 2018 under the direction of the Iznik Museum, and many findings have been brought to light. Among these findings, a group of clay lamps stands out for their decoration and shape. The aim of this study was to introduce these complete and almost complete clay lamps from the excavation of the İstanbul Gate of Nicaea. 

23 clay lamps are catalogued, identified and dated in this study. One of these lamps is of Pontic production since it has common characteristic features of this type of production such as a biconical (with two cones) body, wide, round central part, two opposite-sharp protruding views of the handle and nozzle, a wide filling hole in the circle with a circumscribed circle in the center, vertical-conical knob handle, wideoval wick hole in the nozzle, and slightly raised straight bottom. It is known that this type started to be produced between the end of the 3rd century and the beginning of the 4th century. It is also the most commonly produced type of the 4th century, and its production continued in the second half of the 5th and even in the beginning of the 6th centuries. These types of lamps were unearthed in the ancient settlements of South Russia (Chersonessos, Panticapaion Tyra, Ilurat, Kitey) and Anatolia (Amorium, Nicaea, Isparta/Çünür, Edirne/Hadrianopolis). 

Among the clay lamps, there are two lamps, which show characteristic features of North Africa production. The most common features of this type are the knob handle without a groove, a flat edge band with relief, stamped or moulded decorations, a narrow and shallow canal extending from the discus to the nozzle, and a slightly expanding ring base towards the handle. It has been very well established that these lamps were dated to the 5th century, and they were brought from Africa to other settlements between the 4th and 7th centuries. Moreover, it has been determined that one of the clay lamps analysed is an Asia Minor production. It was probably imported into the city of Nicaea between the 4th and 6th centuries. 

The other 19 clay lamps and their production center are the main discussion of this study. Even though a workshop or a production center could not be determined precisely for these lamps, they were classified in the same group in terms of their paste (with mica), shape and decoration features. Their shape and decoration motifs are similar to many general features of Anatolian products and this group was most probably produced in Asia Minor. Additionally, very similar lamps to this group have been found in the Roman Theatre of Nicaea, as well. These lamps were classified as Iznik (Nicaea) local production. Due to these reasons, this study suggests that the 19 clay lamps obtained from the Istanbul Gate are linked to these lamps, and could be considered as local productions of Iznik.

These clay lamps have a rounded body, narrow and long nozzle, hollow discus, one filling hole in the center of discus, and a handle with one or two incised lines. The decoration repertoire generally consists of three or five concentric circles and geometric or floral motifs. In spite of apparent differences in the nozzle parts, they have some similarities with Delos dated to the 5th and 7th centuries. Supportively, the excavation finding in the Roman Theater of Nicaea was dated to the 5th and 7th centuries as well.

Another remarkable point of this group defined by the current study is the “leaf” pattern, which is represented at the bottom of two clay lamps (Cat. No: 5, Cat. No: 21Kat. No 5). Generally, on the bottom of a lamp is an atelier’s mark place. However, the leaf pattern observed in these two clay lamps differs from an atelier’s mark. It could be suggested that these lamps are related to the ancient history of Nicaea. 

Some significant properties of Nicaea provide a basis for choosing the leaf, which looks like ivy, as a mark of potential local production of clay lamps. As the capital city of Bithynia and the accommodation center for several Roman emperors, Nicaea was an important cult area. Also, it was the sacred city where two ecumenical councils of the Christian world were gathered. These properties created a religiously and politically active history in Nicaea. Moreover, the city has been an important center of pottery production throughout history.

Some stories found in the city are associated with the Pagan god Dionysus (Backhus), as also supported by depictions on ancient coins found in the city. As it is well known, ivy is one of the symbols of Dionysus. “Hederae/ivy” is a motif frequently used in many different works, including architecture, painting and small portable objects in the Roman and Early Christian Worlds. It is also widely used in discus and shoulder decoration of many clay lamps. It is associated with both Dionysus and the fertile soil of Nicaea, where pottery had been produced for centuries. 

Although the Istanbul Gate Excavation is finished, some excavations like the Roman Theater Excavation continue in Nicaea. Consequently, while the clay lamp production in the city is being reevaluated with new data, there is no doubt that the variety of lamp forms and decorations will be increased and updated, as well as workshop marks.