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The Church of St. Nicholas in ancient Myra (modern Kale or Demre)ANTALYA-TURKEY  is a ruined Byzantine church containing the tomb of St. Nicholas of Myra (the inspiration for Santa Claus), as well as many fine mosaics and murals.

History

St. Nicholas was born in Patara around 300, became bishop of Myra, and died around 350. Only these basic details are known to history, but legends abound concerning the life of the saint. A much-embellished hagiography (life of the saint) was written by Simon Metaphrastes in the 10th century.

St. Nicholas is said to have been born of wealthy parents and to have traveled to the Holy Land in his youth. He was tortured and imprisoned during the persecutions of Diocletian, and released when Constantine ordered official toleration of Christians. Nicholas is said to have attended the famous Council of Nicea in 325 (although his name does not appear in the official lists), where he became so infuriated by the heretic Arius that he slapped him hard in the face!

Many of the legends of St. Nicholas involve him helping young people and the poor. In one tale, a butcher lured three boys to his house during a time of famine. While they slept, he killed them, cut them up and placed the pieces in a barrel of salt, intending to sell them for food. Nicholas, who was told of this horrendous act by an angel, hurried to the butcher's house and restored the boys to life.

Another popular legend has it that three daughters of a poor merchant were about to be forced into prostitution since they had no marriage dowries, but St. Nicholas saved them from a life of sin by dropping three bags of gold into the merchant's garden or chimney (versions vary), enabling them to get married.

The saint was buried in Myra upon his death, and a church may have been built over his tomb soon after. If so, it would have been badly damaged in the earthquake of 529 and repaired along with Myra's other buildings later in the 6th century under Emperor Justinian. Damaged in the Arab raids of the 7th century, the Church of St. Nicholas of Myra was rebuilt in the 8th century; it is this structure that largely survives today.

After his death, Nicholas became the patron saint of sailors and seafarers, and many pilgrims came to visit his tomb. Over the centuries, the legends and great popularity of St. Nicholas of Myra led to the Christmastime figure of the bearded man who secretly brings toys to children. He is still known as St. Nick in most of Europe (and he brings his gifts on December 6, not Christmas), but in America he came to be known as Santa Claus.

The church suffered another Arab attack in 1034 and was restored in 1043 by Emperor Constantine IX, at which time a walled monastery was added nearby. In 1087, a group of Italian merchants pushed past the monks and broke open the saint's sarcophagus. They stole the relics and took them to Bari, Italy, where they were placed in a shrine in the cathedral.

By the middle of the 19th century, the Church of St. Nicholas was in very poor condition. Two attempts by Russian groups to restore it were only partly successful. The bell tower and upper storey were probably added at this time.

What to See

The floor of the church is several meters below street level, and is accessed by a steeply descending ramp. There are fine marble mosaic pavements (opus sectile) and faded wall paintings throughout the church.

The church has three side aisles; the two on the south have chapels at the east end. A room beyond the north aisle provides access to the upper storey.

The nave is covered by a groined vault and has a synthronon (set of stepped seats for the clergy) with a covered passage in the apse. The stone altar is surrounded by four broken pillars and the exonarthex and narthex are well-preserved.

The empty tomb of St. Nicholas is in the south aisle between two pillars and behind a broken marble screen. A reused Greek-era sarcophagus, the lid features effigies of a man and a woman. The cloisters on the north side of the church are in a good state of repair.

Festivals and Events

The Church of St. Nicholas is only used for religious services one day each year: the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6. The ecumenical celebrations begin with a Greek Orthodox Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Metropolitan of Myra, who lives in Istanbul. Next is a service in which Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant clergy participate. The Cardinal Archbishop of Bari, where the saint's relics are now, is also represented.

The International St. Nicholas Symposium is held at Demre in early December of each year.

ANTALYA

• Evidence of human habitation dating back over 200 000 years has been unearthed in the Carain caves 30 km to the north of Antalya city. Other findings dating back to Neolithic times and more recent periods show that the area has been populated by various ancient civilizations throughout the ages.

• Records from the Hittite period (when the first recorded political union of Anatolian cities was set up calling itself the Lycian league) refer to the area as the Lands of Arzarwa and document the lively interaction going on between the provinces in 1700 BC.

• Historical records document how cities developed independently, how the area as a whole was called Pamphilia and how a federation of cities was set up in the province. There is also a record of the migration of the Akha Clan to the area after the Trojan war.

• The reign of the Kingdom of Lydia in the west Anatolia came to an end in 560 BC after the Persians defeated it during the battle of Sardis in 546 BC.

• From 334 BC until his death, Alexander the Great conquered the cities of the area one by one - leaving out Termessos and Silion- and so continued the sovereignty of the Persians.

• With the defeat of the Seleucid army at Apamaea began the reign of the Kingdom of Pergamon. In 150 BC Attalos the 2nd, king of Pergamon, founded the city of Attalaia (today’s Antalya) to base his powerful naval fleet.

• When Attalos the 3rd, the last king of Pergamon, died in 133 BC he left his kingdom to the Romans. The Roman and subsequent Byzantine Empires ruled the area for the next 13 centuries.

• In 1207 A.D. the Selchuk Turks conquered Antalya and then Alanya in 1220 A.D.This marked the end of Roman/Byzantine rule.

• Ottoman rule began in 1391. The brief occupation of the area by the Italians came to an abrupt end after the First World War with the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923. The area is now registered as a province of the Republic of Turkey.

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Historical Places

Olympos & Cirali

After passing Phaselis on the Kemer to Kumluca road you will see a sign for Cirali and Olympos. Cirali is the name of the small village near the ancient ruins of the port city of Olympos, which was founded in the 2nd century BC and was abandoned in the 6th century A.D. The myth of Bellerophontes slaying the Chimera is said to have taken place here. An hours walk up a steep path will bring you to the natural phenomenon of the Chimera. Dubbed the “burning mountain” by locals the flames you see escaping the ground are the result of natural gas emissions from beneath the earth’s crust.
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Phaselis

The ancient port of Phaselis is thought to have been founded in the 7th century BC by settlers from Rhodes. Probably one of the most important parts of east Lycia. It had three harbours: one to the north, one to the south and one used for sea warfare. A magnificent thoroughfare down the centre of the city flanked by the remains of shops, bathhouses and a theatre takes you to the site of Hadrian’s Gate.
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Thermessos

Perched high up at over a 1000m on a plateau in the Beydag National Park the city of Termessos, which resisted all attempts at capture by Alexander the Great commands breath-taking views over the plains of Antalya.
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Perge

The ancient city of Perge can be found along the Antalya to Alanya main road after turning north at Aksu. Founded in around 1200 BC its saving grace was its distance from the sea which allowed it to grow without interruption from sea pirates. The cities of Perge and Side signed an agreement with Alexander the Great in 332 BC who thus spared them the usual ravages of battle.
Perge, which enjoyed prosperity throughout the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras, boasts an impressive Amphitheatre and large stadium each with a seating capacity of 15 000 and 2 000 respectively, both well preserved and thus of great significance to archaeologists today.
One point of interest are the 30 or so open chambers situated beneath the stadium seating area which are thought to have been used as shops.
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Aspendos

Situated a little way off the Antalya-Alanya main road just after Serik the city of Aspendos dates back to the 5th century BC. This extremely well preserved Roman amphitheatre, which was built around the 2nd century AD, was later used by the Seljuks as a caravanserai. With a seating capacity of over 17 000 it is still used today to host spectacular concerts, ballets and other significant events. The 10 mile long pressurised aqueduct you can see running along side Adpendos is a feat of Roman engineering.
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Kekova

After leaving Kas one sails past Uluburun and sets a course for Kekova, a spot that is like heaven on earth. One first encounters the Sicak peninsula with two islands at the end of it: Toprakada and Karaada. Kekova island stretches out from here and it is because of this island that the whole area is called Kekova. Passing among the islands and arriving at Kekova, the safest anchorage is Ucagiz, which is a good, all-round harbour.
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Myra

Situated between Finike and Kas, Myra used to be a one of the most important of six Lycian cities. Originally a coastal city the gradual build up of silt from the Demre stream has left it stranded several miles away from the sea. Myra was abandoned after the Arab invasions in the 9th century A.D. The rock tombs and amphitheatre are worth a visit as is St. Nicholas’ church nearby where the legend of Father Christmas (Santa Claus) is said to have originated.

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Arykanda

It is believed that Arykanda was founded in 2000 BC. However, items unearthed in the area, such as bowls and coins have been dated to the 5th century BC. No remains from earlier periods have been found. The ancient city was a member of the Lycian Union, holding a single vote. The city was damaged in an earthquake in 141 and later restored with the help of Opramoas of Rhadopis. From the 4th century onwards, the people of Arykanda began coming under the influence of Christianity. However, the place was again destroyed in the 5th century, its people moving near to where the current village of Catallar is. In the 7th and 8th centuries, with the waves of Arab invaders attacking these areas, the residents sought protection and moved to higher grounds on the mountains. Arykanda was discovered in 1838 by a British explorer. The excavations that began in 1971 are still continuing.

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Limyra

If you follow the road from Finike direction Elmali, you come to Turuncova and the village of Yuvalilar. On the outskirts of this village there is the ancient city of Limyra. Excavations of the site, which began in 1969, have moved slowly and the houses in the region have not been fully excavated. The ancient city of Limyra was founded in the 5th century BC. During the reign of Pericies it was the capital of the Lycian Union and was one of the six cities in the league that held three votes. In the Byzantine period, it was a religious centre and a bishopric.

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Elmali

Elmali is like a high plateau town located at an elevation of 1,050 metres and is popular for its cool climate, even on the hottest of days. Its history goes back to antiquity and a cache of ancient artifacts, known as the Elmali Treasures, was discovered in a field near the village of Bayindir but were unfortunately smuggled out of the country.

There are a number of mosques, prayer schools and other buildings from the Beylik of Teke and the Ottoman periods. Of particular interest are the library containing a collection of Ottoman writings and the mosque and medrese (prayer school) of Omer Pasa, (1608), student of the great Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan. There is an earlier, Seljuk period minaret opposite the mosque. The civilian residential structures of Elmali have been protected to a great degree. In the higher part of the town the old streets are full of houses with the traditional double bay windows. Some of these houses have been restored. To the northwest is Karaburun and the Boztepe tumuli, where many tomb chambers were unearthed. In all the chambers the walls are decorated with colourful paintings.

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Simena (Kalekoy)

Kalekoy (Simena) is one of the most beautiful places of the region, one that can be reached by boat from Kas, Demre or Ucagiz. Once there, one has to climb up to its fortress that overlooks all of the small and large coves in the area and Kekova Island. The houses made of piled stones within the city walls are in harmony with the environment. When you approach the region by boat or view the areas from the top of one of the hills one of the things that catches your eye the most is the Lycian type sarcophagi in the sea.

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Patara

At about 10km beyond Kalkan on the Kalkan-Fethiye highway you turn south and continue 10km along the road to Patara. Patara opened its doors to Alexander the Great, thereby earning the status of an important harbour city, in addition to having been the birthplace of St. Nicholas.

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Xanthos

This is the oldest and largest city of the mountain province in Lycia, settled in the valley of the Xanthos river. The city itself consists of the Lycian acropolis and the parts remaining outside it, as well as the Roman acropolis. The most interesting building is the Roman theatre and the building west of the theatre. The most famous is the Harpy Monument, which is a family sarcophagus situated on a rock.

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Letoon

To reach Letoon, you turn west one kilometre beyond the road from Kinik to Fethiye and continue 5 km. It is known to have been one of the most important religious centres of the Lycian region. Due to the rising water level, archeological digs have been suspended. The most important edifice is the Hellenistic style theatre which has been preserved until today.

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Konya

Konya was the capital of the Seljuk Empire between 1071 and 1308. One of the major Seljuk monuments in the town is the Karatay Medrese, an Islamic school built in 1251 and today a ceramic and tiles museum. The Mevlana Museum houses the most valuable silk carpet in the world with 144 knots per sq cm. The home of the whirling dervishes is Mevlana Tekkesi, which was founded around 1231 by Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi, an Islamic mystic, preaching tolerance, forgiveness and enlightenment.

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Tarsus

Paul’s birthplace is one of the oldest settlements in Cilicia. Among the famous people of Tarsus is Adam’s son Seth, Sit Aleyhisselam. His mausoleum can be visited on the eastern side of the Ulu Cami (Mosque). When Alexander the Great marched through southern Anatolia it was after his bath in the cold Cydnus river that he nearly lost his life. But the person most associated with Tarsus is Paul the Apostle. He was sent to Jerusalem to study with Gamaliel and it was there where he got in touch with the new Christian community.

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Evdir Han

It is situated 18km north-west of Antalya. It was built in 1219 by order of the Seljuk Sultan Izzettin Keykavus. There is a large courtyard surrounded by rooms and an ornamental gate to the west.

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Kirkgoz Han

Situated 31 km north-west of Antalya. It was built in 1247 by the Seljuk Sultan Giyasettin Keyhusrev II and still survived almost intact. The entry gate to the south is without much ornamentation. Around the central courtyard is a large number of rooms there was a well in the centre. On the north side is also a very large hall.

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Alara Han

30 km before reaching Alanya on the Antalya-Alanya highway is the turn-off to Alara Han. It is a very solid construction entered by a gate with inscriptions and lion's heads. It has somewhat the apperance of a fortress as it looks as thought it was meant to ward off aggressors.
Above Alarahan is a fortress (Alara Tower).

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Sarapsa Han (Serapsu Han)

It was constructed on a large area and the stone ceiling is still in a good state. It is closed on the south side. It has also the appearance of a fortress and its ormamental entry gate is on the north side. A small mosque is close to the Inn.

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Alara Tower

Built on a rock rising, straight up from the bed of the Alara stream it is also not known when it was built and was repaired by the Seljuks when they captured this tower in 1231. It was also used for a long period in the Ottoman era. It is reached by a staircase inside a tunnel cut in the rock.