Edens of Turkey

Myra is an ancient city in Lycia, now Turkey. The place is now called Demre (formerly Kale). Myra is known as a place of pilgrimage because of the then-born Nicholas of Myra (* 280/286 in Patara in Lycia; † 345/351).

History
Myra was since 6 Century BC, one of the six largest cities in the Lycian Federation. After the division of Pamphylia Lykiens under Emperor Theodosius II (401-450 AD) was Myra Lykiens capital.

Artemis Eleuthera (Cybele) in Myra had a cult centre, which during an earthquake 141 AD was destroyed. An inscription of the Opramoas of Rhodiapolis, which financed construction of the theater, identifies her as Myra temple in the largest and prunkvollsten. It also reported a legend, handwritten demolition of the sanctuary by Bishop Nicholas.
Myra was bishop’s seat, from 300 officiated Nicholas of Myra as a bishop.
809 was the place by the Arab forces under Harun al-Rashid looted and then lost in importance. During the reign of Alexios I. Trebizond, (1081-1118) was Myra temporarily by the Muslim Seljuk rulers conquered. Italian merchants from Bari took advantage of the restless time to the bones of Saint Nicholas in their home to convert, where they on 9 Arrived in May 1087. Henceforth, Bari pilgrimage to the St. Nicholas cult.
The city has been built up over the centuries in the mud of Demre River and buried between 1965 and 1968 by the German archaeologist Juergen Borchhardt explored.

On 6 December 2007 allowed the Turkish Culture Minister Ertuğrul Gunay his Allheiligkeit the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I a church service in the Greek Orthodox liturgy in the St. Nicholas Basilica of consecrated Demre (Myra) to celebrate. The last church service in the basilica took place in 2002. The Patriarchate is presented each year a request, however, received five years no permit. In addition, the Minister of Culture around 25,000 euro as a donation to help the basilica, which is in poor condition, ready to be restored.

Attractions
The Church of St. Nicholas’, the first Basilica of St. Nicholas, was in the 6th Century. Today’s Basilica comes in three core of the 8th Century. Constantine IX. Monomachos (1000-1055) and Empress Zoe renewed the church. A monastery was built in the second half of the 11th Century and the monks was the maintenance of the pilgrimage.

Nicholas’ bones were in the year 1087 by Italian merchants to Bari removed. Thus the Church lost its meaning is not entirely even later they searched pilgrims.

The church, which for centuries in the mud of the river absorbed Demre was 1863 by the Russian Czar Alexander II acquired and partially restored. In 1963, the eastern and western side of the church excavated. Since the 1990s will find more Turkish excavations at the church. Inside, there are Byzantine frescoes and sculpture and Roman sarcophagi, as Spolien reused. Before the church is a modern Nicholas monument.
Other attractions of the city include the Roman Theater and the Lycian tombs.

The old port of Myra (Andriake), 5 km southwest of Demre (present name: Bay of Cyagzi) is verlandet today. The apostle Paul moved here in the year 59 AD on his trip to Rome the ship. Worth seeing is the old Granarium, a granary, where up to 6000 cubic metres of stored grain.
In addition, the nearby village Ücagiz (Kekova) and the adjacent village of Kale (Simena) is a must for every visitor to the region. Lycian rock tombs and sarcophagi Rankengasse are there - relatively well preserved - to admire. The diving is prohibited, but for snorkelers, the coastal region around Kekova worth the journey.