Saint Nicholas of Myra, also known as “Santa Claus” who was born in Patara and lived in Myra where he was a bishop, is waiting for his visitors at the Tomb church built in his name.
Saint Nicholas was born in 300 AD as the son of a wealthy wheat merchant in Patara, one of the most important port cities of the period and the city where the Lycian Union Assembly building was located. Saint Nicholas, regarded as the guardian of children and sailors, became the Bishop of Myra and he died on 6th December, 365 AD when he was 65 years old. When the Ottoman Empire ruled the region, Italian sailors from Bari seized part of the remains of the saint from his burial church in Myra, during the Crusades and they brought the remains to Bari. He was buried in Basilica di San Nicola.
The Roman sarcophagus, decorated with fish scales and acanthus leaves inside the church, is thought to belong to the Santa Claus, who fell into his forever sleep. Also, bones that are believed to belong to St. Nicholas are exhibited the Antalya Museum.
You can visit the Lycian Civilisations Museum, which is in Andriake, the Harbor City of Myra, and you can take a historical journey on the carpets from the sea shells in the murex producing workshops.
