Myra
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2008-05-08T12:36:53Z
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robot Adding: [[ko:뮈라]]
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[[Image:Myra Theatre.JPG|thumb|right|300px|[[Roman theatre]] of Myra, with the rock-cut tombs of the ancient [[Lycia]]n [[necropolis]] on the cliff in the background.]]
'''Myra''' is an ancient town in [[Lycia]], where the small town of Kale (''[[Demre]]'') is situated today in present day [[Antalya Province]] of [[Turkey]]. It was located on the river Myros (''Demre Çay''), in the fertile [[alluvial plain]] between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the [[Aegean Sea]].
== Historical evidence ==
Although some scholars equate Myra with the town Mira in [[Arzawa]], there is no proof for the connection. There is no substantiated written reference for Myra before it was listed as a member of the Lycian alliance ([[168 BC]] - AD [[43]]); according to [[Strabo]] (14:665) it was one of the largest towns of the alliance.
The [[Greek people|Greek]] citizens worshipped [[Artemis]] [[Eleutheria]], who was the protective goddess of the town. [[Zeus]], [[Athena]] and [[Tyche]] were venerated as well.
The ruins of the Lycian and Roman town are mostly covered by alluvial silts. The [[Acropolis]] on the Demre-plateau, the Roman [[theatre]] and the [[Roman baths]] (''eski hamam'') have been partly excavated. The semi-circular theater was destroyed in an [[earthquake]] in [[141]], but rebuilt afterwards.
[[Image:Myra.JPG|thumb|left|Rock-cut tombs in Myra.]]
There are two [[necropolis|necropoli]] of [[Lycian]] rock-cut tombs in the form of temple-fronts carved into the vertical faces of cliffs at Myra: the river-necropolis and the ocean-necropolis. The best known tomb in the river-necropolis is the "Lion's tomb." When the traveller [[Charles Fellows]] saw the tombs in [[1840]] he found them still colorfully painted red, yellow and blue.
[[Andriake]] was the harbour of Myra in classical times, but silted up later on.
In early Christian times, Myra was the [[metropolitan bishop|metropolis]] of [[Lycia]]. The town is traditionally associated with [[Paul of Tarsus|Saint Paul]], who changed ships in its harbor. [[Saint]] [[Nicholas of Myra]] was the [[bishop]] of Myra in the [[4th century]], and was an ardent opponent of [[Arianism]] at the [[First Council of Nicaea]] in [[325]]. Myra became the capital of the Byzantine [[Eparchy]] of Lycia under [[Theodosius II]], who reigned from [[408]] to [[450]].
== Siege of 809 ==
[[Image:Ilja Jefimowitsch Repin 005.jpg|thumb|''[[Saint Nicholas of Myra]] Saves Three Innocents from Death'' (oil painting by [[Ilya Repin]], 1888, [[State Russian Museum]]).]]
After a [[siege]] in [[809]], Myra fell to [[Abbasid]] troops under [[Caliph]] [[Harun al-Rashid]]. The town went into a decline afterwards. Early in the reign of [[Alexius I Comnenus]] (ruled between [[1081]] - [[1118]]), Myra was again overtaken by Islamic invaders, this time the [[Seljuk Turks]]. In the confusion, sailors from [[Bari]] in Italy seized the [[relic]]s of Saint Nicholas, over the objections of the [[monk]]s caring for them, and spirited the remains away to Bari, where they arrived on [[May 9]], [[1087]], and soon brought that city visitors making [[pilgrimage]] to Saint Nicholas.
==The church of St. Nicholas at Myra==
[[Image:Grab Nikolaus.jpg|thumb|left|The original tomb of St. Nicholas at the [[basilica]] in Myra.]]
{{main|Saint Nicholas}}
The earliest church of St. Nicholas at Myra was built in the [[6th century]]. The present-day church was constructed mainly from the [[8th century]] onward; a [[monastery]] was added in the second half of the [[11th century]].
In [[1863]], [[Tsar]] [[Alexander II of Russia]] purchased the building and began restoration, but the work was never finished. In [[1963]] the eastern and southern sides of the church were excavated. In [[1968]] the former [[Confessio#Confession_as_remains_of_a_Saint|confessio]] (tomb) of St. Nicholas was roofed over.
The floor of the church is made of ''[[opus sectile]]'', a [[mosaic]] of coloured marble, and there are some remains of [[fresco]]es on the walls. An [[ancient Greek]] [[marble]] [[sarcophagus]] had been reused to bury the Saint; but his bones were stolen in 1087 by merchants from [[Bari]], and are now held in the [[Basilica di San Nicola (Bari)|cathedral of that city]].
The church is currently undergoing restoration. In 2007, after several years of refusal, the Turkish Ministry of Culture gave permission for the [[Divine Liturgy]] to be celebrated in the church for the first time in centuries.
==External links==
{{Commonscat|Demre-Myra}}
*[http://www.kultur.gov.tr/portal/arkeoloji_en.asp?belgeno=1899 Notes on Myra] at Turkish Ministry of Culture site
*[http://ancientneareast.tripod.com/Myra.html Myra] Tripod site
*[http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_sites/myra.htm Sites in Myra]
*[http://www.numismatics.org/wiki/index.php/Urn:numis:mints:myra Numismatic Links]
*[http://www.demre.bel.tr Demre Guide]
*[http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=10974&theme=8&size=A Finally a mass in the church of Saint Nicholas in Myra] article from AsiaNews.it
*{{CathEncy|wstitle=Myra}}
===Photos and videos===
*[http://www.360pano.eu/turkey/ QTVR fullscreen panoramas] of the Church of St. Nicholas and the Roman theatre
*[http://www.anatolia.luwo.be/myra.htm Myra Guide and Photo Album]
*[http://www.anatolia.luwo.be/kale.htm Demre - Kale] Guide and Photo Album
*[http://www.livius.org/a/turkey/myra/myra01.html Livius.org: Myra] (Pictures)
{{coor title dm|36|16|N|29|58|E|type:city}}
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Turkey]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek cities]]
[[Category:Roman sites in Turkey]]
[[Category:Anatolia]]
[[Category:Lycia]]
[[Category:New Testament places]]
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[[tr:Demre, Antalya]]
[[zh:米拉 (土耳其)]]