Satellite Image of Myra acropolis

Click within yellow lines for closeup of theater and cliff tombs
Cliff tombs & theater
Church of St. Nicholas
Port (Andriakē)
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Little is left on the surface of the Myra acropolis except a few fortification walls and terraces. Little excavation has occurred on the acropolis. It is possible that the large temple of Artemis was on the acropolis, but according to tradition, Nicholas ordered that it be obliterated to prevent reversion to idolatry among the region's inhabitants. The temple's location is uncertain.

Want to go deeper?

The following are recommended to help you look deeper into the history and archaeology of Myra.

Recommended for purchase:

Claude E. Fant & Mitchell G. Reddish – A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey (Oxford, 2003). – Nearly two-thirds of the New Testament, including all the letters of Paul, most of Acts, and the Book of Revelation, are set in either Turkey or Greece. This book serves as a historical, biblical, and archaeological guide to most of these biblical sites. View excerpt

George Bean – Lycian Turkey Classic Guides to Turkey (London: John Murray, 1989).

Frank Sear – Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study. (Oxford, 2006). – Sear discusses Myra's theater and includes a plan (Plan 389, Pl. 128).on pp. 346-347.

Ekrem Akurgal – Ancient Civilizations and Ruins of Turkey: From Prehistoric Times Until the End of the Roman Empire (Haset Kirabevi, 1985). | cheaper, earlier edition – Akurgal was the archaeologist in charge of the excavation of the original Smyrna at Bayrakli.

Online resources:

Christine Eslik, PhD – Recent & current excavations at St. Nicholas Church and Andriakē

ANMED – Excavations at St. Nicholas Church – Frescoes (ANMED issue 2004-02). | "Excavations at Church of St. Nicholas in Myra-Demre" (ANMED issue 2006-04). | "Surveys in Andriake in 2005" (ANMED issue 2006-15).

Patty & Kemal Safyurek – Myra. See also their related site on Lycia, which is one of the most thorough and helpful available, including Lycian history, archaeology, photos, and much more.

Charles Fellows – An Account of Discoveries in Lycia (London: John Murray, 1840). Discusses Myra on pp. 196ff.

Lynn Levine – "Demre" in Frommer's Turkey 4th ed. (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley& Sons, 2006). 298-302 (299-301 unavailable online).

Luc Wouters – Photos of Myra.

Virtual tour (360° photos) – Frontal view of theater | View from orchestra | View from near top | Cliff tombs behind theater | Sarcophagus of St. Nicholas

Wikipedia – Myra | Demre

Andrys Basten – St. Nicholas Church (photo gallery)

Burak Sansal – Demre & Myra | St. Nicholas of Myra | Lycia and the Lycians – Sansal is a Turkish professional tour guide.


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