Myra Ancient City

The Ancient City of Myra, located in and around today's Demre district center, was founded on the plain with the same name. The city was connected to the sea with the canal convenient for transportation in the west of the Myros River (Demre Stream). Sea transportation and trade of the region was also carried out from the Andriake (Çayağzı) Port, located on the other side of the canal. The Ancient City of Myra is especially famous for Lycian Period rock tombs, Roman Period theater and Byzantine Period St. Nicholas Church (Santa Claus).

Rock tombs, Lycian inscriptions and coins, Myra at least BC. They show that it has existed since the 5th century. According to the information given by Strabo, Myra, one of the six largest cities of the Lycian League, is referred to as Myrrh in Lycian inscriptions.

WORK. The 2nd century is the period when Myra witnessed a great development. In the city, which was the Metropolis of the Lycian League, many buildings were built and repaired with the help of rich Lycian people. During the Byzantine Period, Myra became one of the leading cities in terms of religion as well as administrative aspects. Its fame, which has reached today, is the name of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) İ.S. It owes that he was the bishop of the city in the 4th century and that after his death he reached the rank of saint and built a church in his name.

Since the 7th century, Myra lost its importance due to earthquakes, floods, alluviums brought by the Demre Stream, and Arab raids, and turned into a village identity in the 12th century. Today's ruins consist of the theater on the southern skirt of the acropolis and the rock tombs on both sides. According to the researches, it is possible to come across the remains of the Hellenistic, even the 5th century BC city walls on the acropolis hill and its surroundings, apart from the Roman Period walls, which are in very good condition today. Located on the southern skirt of the acropolis, the theater reflects the characteristics of a well-preserved Roman theater with its rows of seats and the stage building. The stage building is standing up to half of the second floor. There are embossed or flat rock tombs on both sides of the theater.

The tomb with relief depicting the dead and their relatives is one of the most interesting examples in the Myra tombs, which are the best adapted examples of the Lycian wooden house architecture to the rock tombs. In addition, many rock-cut tombs with reliefs or inscriptions are placed on top of each other or side by side on the south-facing side of the rock. On the way to the city center near the theater, the remains of the baths on the left of the road are early and interesting examples of Roman brick architecture.

The city's water needs were met by channels carved into the rock on the edge of the valley where the Demre Stream flowed. The fact that Myra, one of the six cities in the Lycian Confederation with three voting rights, is referred to as the "brightest city" shows how important it is. It is of particular importance that the mother goddess of the city, Artemis, was represented in the form of Cybele, the oldest goddess of Anatolia, on the coins minted with her own name, as well as the coins belonging to the Lycian Confederation of Myra. WORK. Myra, which was the capital of the state of Lycia in the 5th century, is located in St. The fact that it is the city where Paul and his friends stopped has a special importance in Christianity.