October - Demre, Myra and Olympos

A DAY TRIP WITH FRANK AND LIN

 We hired a car from Finike marina and went out to explore the surrounding area. Only 30 minutes along the coast was Demre - home of St Nicholas' church - the original Santa Claus. Apparently he was a very benevolent bishop in the town but didn't want everyone to know so he would climb up onto the roofs of the houses at night and drop gold coins down the chimneys. At one house, the daughters were drying their stockings by the fire and the gold landed in them. Thereby starting a tradition!

  Beautifully painted ceilings.....

......and mosaic floors.

                              A section of the restored church.

 Going inland from Demre we soon came to Myra to see the huge amphitheatre and the mass of rock tombs.

 Many examples of carved theatrical masks are to be seen around the outside.

Such clean, regular carving in the stone of egg and dart and lozenge designs.

An idea of scale of the site when you see the size of the people.


The rock tombs are just off to the left of this picture.

Lycian rock tombs to the side of the theatre - Temple-type and house-type tombs. 

Looking down into the Roman theatre which could seat thousands.

We then drove back past Finike and went out to Olympos further north.
Here there are ruins from the 4th Century BC

Remains of the old town and castle

Detail on a sarcophagus showing the "Tree of Life".