Nicaea

The ancient Turkish town of Iznik, formerly Nicaea, is the setting for this novel that weaves together past and present to explore age-old questions such as the nature of love, the role of the artist, and the expression of faith.
Beginning with the present-day seekers Adam and Marianne, who attempt to rekindle their love affair after twenty years, the story of what happened in this town deepens through flashbacks, not only in their own lives, but through Nicaea's famous history as well.
Through correspondences and many different storytellers, we hear a multitude of voices, from famous historical characters that guided the theology and politics of the early Christian church -- Eusebius, Arius, Athanasius and Constantine the Great -- to sometimes lyrical, sometimes fantastical fictional characters like the serving girl who outwits a Sultan, the irreverent pranksters Karagoz and Hajivat, or the cook who confounds Death.
All their struggles with timeless themes of love, the state versus the individual consciences, and what constitutes faith are set against a backdrop of the ever-mysterious and shadowy Nicaea, perhaps the most important character of all.