Ancient City of Myra in Antalya
The
ancient city of Myra is an important one. It's located in the Demre district of
Antalya. The name Myra means The Place of the Supreme Mother Goddess.
Myra
is famous for the church of Saint Nicholas, as he was the bishop in Myra and
because of this the city maintained its reputation throughout the Middle Ages.
Rock
Tombs
There
are two Lycian necropolis areas (rock tombs) cut into the vertical
sides of the cliffs in Myra. The tombs were often carved in the shape of the
front of a temple with pillars. It is remarkable that the rock tombs are
adorned with so many reliefs and they look like a small houses. The "Lion
Tomb" is the most famous.
The
shape and characteristics of the tombs indicated the status of the person
buried in the tomb. The reliefs on the bottoms sometimes displayed scenes from
the person's life.
Church of St. Nicholas in Myra
St.
Nicholas Church was first built in the 6th century after the death of St.
Nicholas. Afterwards, several miraculous healings are said to have taken place
among the believers who came to venerate his relics, and thus Myra
became a place of pilgrimage. The current church was built mainly in
the 8th century.
A
monastery was added in the second half of the 11th century. Restoration
work began in 1863, following the Russian Tsar, Alexander's, purchase of the
building and the surrounding area from the Ottoman Empire. A bell tower was
added during these restorations and can be seen today. The sarcophagus of Saint
Nicholas, which was destroyed in 1087, was unearthed in 1968.
Theater
The Myra theater is one of the best preserved theaters in the Lycian Region that was built during the Roman period. It has a capacity to hold approximately 11,000 people. The majority of the two-story stage building is still standing. It was damaged in the earthquake in 141, then was repaired by a wealthy merchant, named Opramoas from Rhadiapolis. It is thought that the side of the theater facing the audience was once decorated with masks, reliefs, and sculptures.
This church, attributed to Santa Claus, is considered sacred for many believers.
Acropolis
The acropolis is just above the rock tombs and theater, however, no significant remains have survived in the acropolis. The city was initially founded on the hill above where the rock tombs are located, then it expanded downwards and became one of the six most important Lycian cities. Myra developed a lot during the 2nd century AD and many buildings were built with donations from wealthy people in this period.
