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The charming city of St. Nicholas: Myra



 
 
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Old January 24th, 2005, 06:07 AM
T.R.H.
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Default The charming city of St. Nicholas: Myra

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http://www.antalya-ws.com/english/lo...tory.asp?out=1
http://www.fotografcilar.com/classic/Mira/ ]

x0x The charming city of St. Nicholas: Myra

By Gunes Gokce

Myra is worth visiting with its legends, historical places
and beaches.

On the streets of a city that rests its back against the Taurus
Mountains, a delicious scent wafts in the breezes between the
mountainside and the sea. It is said that sailors of passing ships,
like bees attracted to flowers, were lured by this perfume blowing on
the wind and would steer their ships toward the shore. These waters
belong to the city of Myra and its harbour Andriake. Myra, named for
the fragrant but bitter gum tree which is called sarisakiz in Turkish,
derives from the word murru of the Akkadeans or the word mirra or
myrrh of the Lycians, both of them ancient peoples who once settled in
this Mediterranean coastal area. The name myrrh passed to Greek, then
to Latin and to English.

Myra, today known as Demre, is located very close to the
mouth of the Kekova Bay, 25 and 48 kilometres from Finike and
Antiphellos (Ka$), respectively. The ancient city, whose remnants can
still be seen next to the modern town of Kale, was once named among
the six powerful cities that each held the right to three votes in the
Lycian Federation.

During the period of Byzantine domination, the city maintained its
leading position in terms of religion and administration. Though the
Demre River (Myros) contributed to the development of sea trade, it
also brought successive raids by pirates and other invaders. In an
effort to prevent the raids, the Myraeans chained the mouth of the
river in the Andriake harbour.

During the 8th and 9th centuries the city resisted Arab invasions. In
1034, again due to an Arab invasion, the Church of St. Nicholas was
destroyed.

The combined discomforts of the Arab invasions, frequent
overflow of the river flooding buildings with mud, and constant
earthquakes led to the eventual abandonment of the city.

ARCHBISHOP OF MYRA: ST. NICHOLAS
St. Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus or Father Christmas, was the
Byzantine Archbishop of the area and included among the important
historical figures who lived in Myra in the 4th century. He was well
known for his gift-giving, especially to the children at Christmas.

The St. Nicholas Church, where he had spent considerable time during
his life, and where he was buried, had been destroyed and rebuilt
several times. Presently, the church has been protected against the
elements with a special roof. The church with its floor mosaics,
arched sanctuary and rooms, and sarcophagus, is visited by thousands
of tourists every year.

STONE TOMBS OF LYCIA

The skirts of the Myra Acropolis are full with stone tombs that, when
viewed from a distance, resemble pigeon nests. Many of these were
carved out of the surface rock of the steep hillside near the theatre.

Most resemble houses, though a few are in the form of a temple. They
are divided into two groups: the Sea Necropolis, on the steep east and
west skirts of the theatre, and the River Necropolis on the north-east
side of the hill. Most of the funerary tablets were written in the
Lycian language. The tombs are covered with reliefs. Several Roman
buildings on the north and a castle on the south point of the harbour
are also of note. But the most remarkable building is the Emperor
Hadrianus grain storage found on the south side. Andriake is no longer
the harbour of Myra. Similar to what happened to the ancient harbour
city of Ephesus, river deposits gradually filled the harbour until it
was far from the sea. Today the harbour location is one and a half
kilometres inland.

One of the greatest structures in Myra that remains standing
today is the theatre, which reflects its Hellenistic origins, although
it was restored during the Roman era. The theatre is 110 m in diameter
and has 29 rows across the bottom and six rows across the top. There
are 14 aisles from bottom to top, thus dividing the seats into 13
sections. The side of the building facing the audience is full of
columns, niches, statues, reliefs and remarkable decorative elements.

Parapets surround the orchestra, indicating that the theatre was used
as a circus and arena. Myra, with its legends, unique history, natural
beauty and fishermen along the seashore, is a delightful venue well
worth seeing.

* Gunes Gokce is a photographer and freelance writer
 




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