Νύσσα | |
 Ruins of Nyssa | |
  Nyssa Shown within Turkey Show map of Turkey Nyssa Nyssa (Near East) Show map of Near East | |
| Location | Harmandalı, Ortaköy,Aksaray Province, Turkey |
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| Region | Central Anatolia |
| Coordinates | 38°57′15″N33°57′33″E / 38.954295°N 33.959229°E /38.954295; 33.959229 |
Nyssa (Ancient Greek:Νύσσα) was a town and bishopric inCappadocia,Asia Minor. It is important in thehistory of Christianity due to being the see of the prominent 4th century bishopGregory of Nyssa. Today, its name continues to be used as atitular see in theEastern Orthodox Church and theRoman Catholic Church.
TheAntonine Itinerary places it on the road fromAncyra toCaesarea, between Parnassos and Asiana, 24 Roman miles from Parnassus and 32 from Asiana.Ptolemy'sGeography places it at 68°20' 38°40 (in his degrees) in the Prefecture of Murimene (Ancient Greek:Στρατηγίας Μουριμηνῆς).[1]TheSynecdemus and theNotitiae Episcopatuum indicate that Nyssa was in theRoman province ofCappadocia Prima.[2]
The site of Nyssa has been identified as near the modern town ofHarmandalı,Ortaköy district,Aksaray province, in south-centralTurkey.[3] The archaeological site consists of twotells, named Büyükkale (Great Castle) and Küçükkale (Little Castle), located 1 and 2 km to the north of Harmandalı with the town located 1 km north[1]Another proposed location associates it with the modern city ofNevşehir, but modern scholarship has cast serious doubt on this.[1][4]
William Smith'sDictionary of Greek and Roman Geography placed the town at a village, not otherwise mentioned, called Nirse or Nissa and said that it was anciently in a district calledMuriane, not far from the riverHalys.[5]
Nyssa was important enough in theRoman province ofCappadocia Prima to become asuffragan of its capital's Metropolitan, the Archdiocese ofCaesarea in Cappadocia (Kayseri).
The earliest bishop of Nyssa whose name is known isGregory of Nyssa, bishop of Nyssa from about 372 to 394 and brother ofBasil the Great, bishop of Nyssa'smetropolitan see,Caesarea in Cappadocia. The bishop at the time of theCouncil of Ephesus in 431 was Heraclides. Musonius took part in theRobber Council of Ephesus in 449, Ioannes in theSecond Council of Constantinople in 553, another Ioannes in theThird Council of Constantinople in 680, Paulus in theTrullan Council in 693, a third Ioannes in theSecond Council of Nicaea in 787, and Ignatius in thePhotianCouncil of Constantinople (879). A 10th-century bishop named Germanus is known for his ecclesiastical writings.[6][7]
The Eastern Orthodox Church has continued to appoint titular bishops of Nyssa even after the town and its Christian community ceased to exist. In practice, these titular bishops held jurisdiction over Orthodox Christian communities located elsewhere. Since 2012, the title "Bishop of Nyssa" is held by the bishop of theAmerican Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese.[8]
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