Side Trip Overview
Myra is an ancient city in Lycia known as a place of pilgrimage. Today’s Demre is particularly known for Saint Nicholas. In Myra he rose from simple priest to bishop and performed most of his merciful deeds there. According to legend, Saint Nicholas threw small bags of gold coins into the chimneys of poor girls’ houses. His Church of the Holy Sepulcher is still a destination for Christian pilgrims today. Just as worth seeing are the rock graves from pre-Christian times, which are an impressive testimony to the ideas of the afterlife of the old poets.
Additional Info
Duration: 10 to 11 hours
Starts: Side, Turkey
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
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What to Expect When Visiting Side, Turkish Mediterranean Coast, Turkey
Myra is an ancient city in Lycia known as a place of pilgrimage. Today’s Demre is particularly known for Saint Nicholas. In Myra he rose from simple priest to bishop and performed most of his merciful deeds there. According to legend, Saint Nicholas threw small bags of gold coins into the chimneys of poor girls’ houses. His Church of the Holy Sepulcher is still a destination for Christian pilgrims today. Just as worth seeing are the rock graves from pre-Christian times, which are an impressive testimony to the ideas of the afterlife of the old poets.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Demre (Kale), Demre (Kale), Turkish Mediterranean Coast
St Nicholas Church is an old Eastern Roman basilica church in the ancient city of Myra, now a museum in modern Demre, Antalya Province. It was built over the burial place of St Nicholas, a 4th century Christian bishop of Myra. An important religious figure for Eastern Orthodox Christians and Catholics and the historical inspiration for Santa Claus, its use dates back to the 6th century construction for the state church of the Roman Empire of Justinian the Great. The basilica is on UNESCO’s tentative list to be a World Heritage Site …
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Myra Antik Kenti, Alakent Mahallesi, Demre (Kale) 07570 Turkey
The ancient city of Myra, which is located in today’s Demre district center and its surroundings, was founded in the plain of the same name. The city was connected to the sea by a convenient canal west of the Demre Brook. Sea transport and trade in the region were carried out from the port of Andriake on the other side of the canal. The ancient city of Myra is particularly famous for the rock tombs from the Lycian period, the Roman theater and the Byzantine Church of St. Nicholas.
Duration: 30 minutes
