Myra
Myra Necropolis Rock Tombs
Myra was one of the six most important
cities of ancient Lycia (Xanthos, Patara, Olympos, Pinara, Tlos, and Myra) and
eventually was made the capital of the Roman province of Lycia. As a
result of Arab raids, earthquakes, and the flooding of the Myrros stream,
the city became largely abandoned.
The ruins of the ancient city of Myra
consist of an impressive necropolis and adjacent Roman theatre and are located at about 1.5 km north of
present day Kale - Demre. The well preserved Roman theatre of Myra is
large with 35 consecutive rows of seats. The facade of the amphitheatre was
richly decorated with theatrical masks and mythological scenes. To the
west of the theatre the steep cliff is honeycombed with closely packed
rock-cut tombs, most of them of the Lycian house-type.
The ancient city of Sura, whose ruins
are located 5 km beyond Demre, was important for its fish-oracle of
Apollo. There are only a few remains left, the most prominent being a
monumental Lycian pilar-tomb dating from the 4th century BC. The tomb was
intended for family burial, the owner was placed in the pillar tomb and
his family in the chamber underneath.
Andriake, the port of Myra, was founded
as a sister-town at about the same time as Myra. It is located in Çayağzı,
at about 5 km of the city centre of Demre at the mouth of the Androkos
river. Andriace was one of the most important ports of Lycia and it was
the port where St. Paul and his companions Luke and Aristarchos changed
ships on their way to Rome. The most important ruin in Andriace is the
Granarium or Granary of Hadrian. This impressive and well preserved 65x32
meter building was erected during the reign of Emperor Hadrianus
(117-138).
More on Myra and its history is
available on the
Lycian Turkey site.
Click on the thumbnails to get a greater picture
