The county of Iznik is certainly one of Bursa’s most historically robust areas. As a city that had been conquered and ruled by the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans, the layers to its past are still being uncovered. As a tourist visiting the community, it’s almost shocking how little has been excavated and preserved. Much of the region is farmland, packed to the brim with olive groves.

One incredible piece of history, found tucked down a dirt road 3 km north of Iznik in Elbeyli village, is a Roman obelisk. Dedicated to Gaius Cassius Philiscus (and potentially marking his grave), the 15.5 meter tall structure is built of 5 triangular prisms stacked one on top of the other (hense its name: “Beştaş” — meaning five stones). It was erected in the 2nd century and, according to the current signage, it was believed to have had a 6th stone which held a two-headed eagle emblem.