My eagerness to visit the historical ruins of Myra came about because in its prime, it was one of the most important cities of the ancient Lycian league.
Known as the first democratic union in history, the Lycian league can also take credit for influencing the United States constitution
The league left their footprint in history through ancient ruined cities all over the south west coast of Turkey and I was determined to visit as many of them as possible. This proved to be more difficult then I originally thought as while on my tour I discovered there is more historical attractions in this area of Turkey, than the whole of Greece put together!
I was not expecting a lot from Myra (now named Demre). After you have seen the ancient ruins of Ephesus, it takes a lot for anything to match up. However I was pleasantly surprised even though Myra is maybe one fifth of the size of Ephesus. This is probably due to the fact that Ephesusdisplays predominately Roman architecture and influence, while Myra still has traces of its Lycian heritage.
The result is completely different ambience, vibes and a unique experience
The main attractions at Myra are the large theatre which used to sit 13000 and the necropolis Lycian rock tombs. Even though you are not allowed to walk around the rock tombs, you can still get a feel for the ancient Lycian culture and their beliefs.
Lycian tombs were always placed at the top of hills or on the cliffs as there was a belief that the dead would be transported to another world by a wing liked creature.
When they were first discovered by a foreign explorer, the tombs were painted in bright red, green and yellow colors however very little of those bright colors are obvious today.
How to Get to Myra
To get to Myra, I jumped on the bus from Kas and got off in the town of Demre. From there, I saw a sign that said Myra was a 3km walk. Now, I know 3km and I also know the Turkish version!
In the heat of the midday sun and my bad sense of direction, I did not want to chance it. I could not find the local bus headed in that direction but managed to barter a taxi driver for a return journey for 20 Turkish liras. The ruins are open from 9am to 7pm every day and are just 10 Turkish liras to enter.
Even if visiting ancient ruins is not your passion in life, I would definitely recommend putting Myra on your list if you are passing through the area. It only takes an hour if you are looking for a quick visit; otherwise combine the ruins with a trip to the home of Santa Claus, otherwise known as St Nicholas Church.
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