From Antalya Airport Demre (Myra)

About Demre (Myra)

Demre was known in antiquity as Myra, a major Lycian city whose rock-cut theatre and elaborate multi-storey tomb facades carved into the cliff face above the town are among the finest surviving examples of Lycian funerary art. The fourth-century Bishop of Myra, Nikolaos, who was venerated for his generosity and later canonised, is the historical figure behind the legend of Santa Claus; his basilica in the town centre still draws pilgrims. A short boat trip along the coast reaches the sunken harbour walls and submerged ruins of ancient Simena at Kekova, visible through the clear water.