Demre

The archaeological site of ancient Myra is two kilometres away from modern Demre. The origins of this city date back to the fifth century B.C. The Lycians were an unified race, sharing coinage, a common language and script not dissimilar to Jndo-European though Greek had replaced this language by the fourth century. Myra flourished under the Romans and maintained its status as a free city. The city became the see of a Bishopric with St. Nicholas, who was consecrated Bishop here. The figure of St. Nicholas is much loved both by the Eastern and the Western churches on account of his association with Father Christmas. The story goes that one night the Bishop anonymously made donations of gifts and money contained in sacks which he lowered down chimneys. These were destined for poor girls who were unable to marry without sufficient dowries.

The Church of St. Nicholas was built in the third century A.D. It was later enlarged and embellished and, with the contributions made by pilgrims who came in ever increasing numbers, became a basilica. It is well preserved and was built with an atrium, an exonarthex, a narthex and three naves with apses. In the centre there is a dome decorated with frescoes that have now faded. The marble floor is in good condition and the Saint’s tomb, which at one time contained his remains, is in the left nave. His body was removed in 1087 by Italian merchants, probably from Ban, where it was taken, and where it is still preservcd today. They neglected to remove all the bones and those that were left behind can be seen in the museum at Antalya. Every year at Demre on December 6th a symposium is held in memory of St. Nicholas attended by the Church hierarchy and journalists. There is a wellmaintained garden surrounding the church where a bronze statue of the heavily-bearded Saint, with a sack on his shoulders and accompanied by two children, looking indeed the very picture of Father Christmas, may be seen. In the city’s necropolis there are tombs dug out of the rock, one next to another and these are the most fascinating monuments. They are highly decorated, with Graeco-Roman architectonic influences and look like real dwelling places. Some of them have hasreliefs depicting family scenes with the deceased, others record the dead as they were when alive. The stage is missing from the Greek theatre, built on the hillside, but its forty-seven steps are still in existence. There are a few evocative masks, carved in stone, scattered over the site.