The postcard received today shows one of the marvels
of the Ancient World: The ruins of Myra, an ancient Greek town in Lycia, located
on the river Myros (Demre Çay), in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca
Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea.
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| Cut-rock tombs of Myra |
WHERE
WAS MYRA?
Myra was located where the small town of Kale (Demre)
is situated today, in present-day Antalya Province, on the southeastern coast of
Turkey.
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| Location of Myra within Turkey |
MYRA
WAS FAMOUS FOR…
…being one of the largest cities of Lycia, a
geopolitical region in Anatolia whose existence dated back to the Late Bronze Age
(1250–546 BC) and was incorporated into
the Roman Empire in the 1st century.
 |
| Location of Ancient Lycia |
WHAT TO SEE
Amphitheatre
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| Myra's amphitheatre. Wikipedia |
Myra's Greco-Roman theatre is the largest theatre in
Lycia and one of the main attractions of Myra. Its double-vaulted corridors are
still preserved and an inscription in a stall space reads "place of the
vendor Gelasius"- the location of an ancient concessions stand. It has 38 rows of seats and its facade was
richly decorated with theatrical masks and mythological scenes.
Rock-Cut
Tombs
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| Myra's rock-cut tombs |
The famous rock-tombs of Myra are in two main groups, one above the theater and the other in a place called the river necropolis on the east side. Although most of the tombs are plain today, Charles Fellows tells that upon his discovery of the city in 1840 he found the tombs colourfully painted red, yellow and blue.
Saint
Nicholas Church
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| Church of Saint Nicholas, Myra |
The earliest church of St. Nicholas was built in the
6th century AD, supposedly over St. Nicholas' tomb. Later it was rebuilt, the present church is
from the 9th century. It was further rebuilt in 1042 under the patronage of
Constantine X and a monastery was added at that time or shortly after. Excavations and restorations were done during
the 1960's and continue today from the early 1990's.
You can virtually explore the ruins of Myra by
watching this video:
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