After many days on the water, I was ready for land. A big night of drinking at Smugglers Cove had made our crew worse for the wear, in search of hangover remedies, doctors and pharmacies. We were taken to shore and shuttled into the modern town of Demre to repair ourselves and spend the afternoon.
I had little to no knowledge of what we would see, but after a walk around town, we discovered that this town was home to St. Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus. He’s an important saint in the Russian Orthodox church, so the Turkish and English signs were also in Russian.
After a pide and bottle of Coke, it was off to the ruins of Myra. I thought I’d had my fill of ancient sites on my overland trip, but these ruins turned out to be some of my favorites. Not only were they the least crowded I visited, but the most unique. Located on the Lycian Way, this area was home to a large Christian Greek population until the 1920s population exchange.
What makes Myra so fascinating is the tombs cut into the rock, pictured above. You can find homes carved into rock in Cappadocia, but this is one of the only places in Turkey to see these tombs. The historic site dates back to the early 100s BC and also has a Roman amphitheater that rivals those of Hieropolis and Pergamum.
The Lycian city was named after myrrh, one of the items the wise men brought to Mary and Joseph upon the birth of Jesus. It was here that Saint Paul changed ships and that Saint Nicholas was a bishop. Myra was invaded by Seljuk Turks in 809 and earthquakes affected it over the years, but otherwise the area has remained untouched and well preserved.
If You Go
The ruins at Myra are in between Fethiye and Antalya, three hours from each, and one hour from Kas. I recommend taking a taxi from Demre. Hours vary by season, but the site is open every day between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. Admission is 15 TL ($7.50 USD).
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