Myra Örenyeri

About Myra Örenyeri

Myra, on the edge of Demre between Kaş and Finike, is best known for its cliff face of carved Lycian rock tombs and the Roman theatre below them. It was one of the six leading cities of the Lycian Confederation, with three votes, and took its name from the Myros river (today's Demre Çayı). The Ministry of Culture and Tourism notes that the city's water came through a canal system cut into the rocks, and that the alluvium the river laid down over time eventually led to Myra's decline. The inhabitants worshipped the mother goddess Artemis, and coins minted in Myra's name show her in the form of Cybele, the oldest goddess of Anatolia; the Ministry calls Myra the place where Cybele became Artemis. The city was famous throughout the Middle Ages because St Nicholas was its bishop. Its heyday came between 408 and 450 AD, in the reign of Theodosius II, when it was the capital of Lycia and reached the sea through its port city of Andriake at Çayağzı. After Arab raids from the 7th to the 9th centuries, and its capture in 809, Myra lost its importance. The main sights are the theatre, which dates from the Roman period and is one of the few ancient theatres to survive to the present day, and the reliefs on the rock tombs on either side of it and in the river necropolis. The Ministry also recommends the bird area between Çayağzı harbour and Andriake, where 149 bird species have been recorded. The site is open every day. When checked in November 2026 the Ministry listed hours of 08:00 to 19:00, with the ticket office closing at 18:30; hours change by season. MüzeKart is valid for Turkish citizens and an audio guide is available. The Church of St Nicholas in Demre is a separate museum.