Vize

Template: Infobox city in Turkey / Maintenance / County

Vice (Greek Βιζύη - Bizye ) is a city in the Turkish province of Kırklareli in Eastern Thrace. She is known by the Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia, which was probably built in the 8th or 9th century.

History

Little is known about the early history of probable Thracian town. Since the Hellenistic period it was probably the capital of Thracia, an independent Thracian Kingdom. It was built in 46 BC as a province in the Roman Empire. In Byzantine times here a small fort was in the immediate hinterland of Constantinople. A water line supplied from here to the capital. Shortly after 1200 Bizye was conquered by the Crusaders in 1453 and taken finally by the Ottomans. In the 16th century, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque, then profaned in the 70s of the 20th century.

In August 1903, the city, during the Ilinden Uprising Preobraschenie of Bulgarian rebels led by Stamat Ikonomow was taken.

Currently, a Bauuntersuchung and preparatory safety measures at the Hagia Sophia by the German Archaeological Institute will be held to allow a permanent restoration of the Byzantine church.