Visiting Demre: Undergrowth Horizon

“It’s strange to think how swiftly modern culture renews itself. Even widespread concepts and institutions, like Santa Claus, are less than four centuries old. In his modern rendition, popularized by American ad culture, he stands even younger. But for those who grew up in the States, he seems a fixture to the Christmas season.” – Old Sean

Greenhouse City

I eventually left the town of Kaş after briefly passing the ruins of Kyaneai Ören Yeri in order to reach Demre, known for its unique historical attractions. I knew that the town was home to astonishing aspects of Christian culture and history, as well as the world’s most notorious example of Lycian Rock Carved Tombs.

What I didn’t expect, however, was the horizon of low, white tarp-buildings covering my entire view.

For reasons unknown to me, Demre is a major capital of growing indoor tomatoes. There are miles upon miles of greenhouses dedicated to protecting and fostering the plant.

While that’s somewhat impressive on its own, it doesn’t lend itself to the aesthetic appeal of town. Demre looks like a giant field covered in construction materials from above.

First impression tentatively curious, I veered into town, seeking out the Myra Ancient City.

The True Ruins

Known as the Lycian Rock-Cut Tombs of Myra, these rock-hewn tombs are the most famous and distinctive of the region. The area around this cliff is an absolute trove of tourism attractions, bringing in steady crowds through the day.

There are two necropolis tomb sites which have temple-style carvings on the faces of cliffs at Myra. The first is a river-facing necropolis and the other is an ocean-adjacent necropolis. The river tombs are the ones I visited, known as the Lion’s Tomb or Painted Tomb. According to informational plaques, the intrepid traveler Charles Fellows sighted the tombs in 1840 and noted the colorful red, yellow and blue paint still enduring on the stone surfaces.

The site is also home to one of the largest regional outdoor amphitheaters of Lycia. Stones stagger down to a central stage as ancient brick walls are propped up, old passages leading to hidden caves. There are dozens of reclaimed stones seated on the flat ground outside, many showcasing expressive faces and carvings in the rock.

It’s notable that the local amphitheater is considered among the best preserved in the world. Its design is entirely Roman, having been built on the foundation of a far smaller Hellenistic theater. Depictions of gods and carvings of other figures accent the reliefs.

The last bit of time I had around the ruins was spent in the gift shop. There’s an insane amount of tourism souvenirs here, spanning from miniature warrior statues to phallic-shaped bottle openers.

Jolly Old

After visiting the cliff-carved ruins, I left to explore the Church of Saint Nicholas, the inspiration for the modern American Christmas mascot, Santa Claus. The actual church is an ancient East Roman basilica church found in the ancient city of Myra, now serving as an artfully restored museum located in modern Demre,

The current church was built in 520 CE on the foundations of a far older Christian church where Saint Nicholas had once served as a bishop. The structure faced damages on several occasions, but it was restored Justinian I.

The building is filled with archways, stone rooms and remarkably intricate frescos. When the church faced silt-damage during a flood, it was restored again by Russian Emperor Nicholas I, who commissioned an additional tower and made other changes to its original Byzantine architecture.

The church became inactive and de-sanctified following the population exchange agreement of 1923 when populations were (sometimes forcefully) made to relocate between Greece and Turkey to their ethnic states of origin.

Surrounding the church is a surprising number of religious tourism shops selling intricate artworks of various Christian religious figures. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the site focuses far more on the historical reputation of Saint Nicholas and his contributions to Christianity, rather than the popular culture surrounding him in the modern era.

With my time exploring ancient sites done for the moment, I entered the modern part of Demre for lunch, pastry snacks and WIFI. I hoped to check into my hotel located on a cliff slightly outside the city, but the company was largely unresponsive.

Tired and desperate for a shower, I went to the hotel site anyway.

Hotel Check… Around?

My dreams of an easy check-in to my hotel were quickly dashed on arrival. The hotel was utterly empty with the front desk covered in construction equipment. I walked all the way up five stories to the roof, but didn’t find another soul.

The hotel has a wonderful, expansive view of Demre below. But there wasn’t a single person to be found.

Finally, I tried just wandering around outside. There was a drunk neighbor who forced open a drawer, fished out a key to a few rooms (most without furniture or beds) and finally got me a furnished room to lay down.

I’m not going to say I was thrilled, but my travel fatigue had begun to catch up to me and the shower functioned. The room was clean. I laid down for a quick nap, hoping to head out once more for the evening.

Light Romp

After my quick restorative nap, I took a long, slow drive through the outer portion of town, following cliffs facing west. I was granted spectacular views of sunset as I drove, eventually arriving at a long, sandy beach.

All around, there were rickety restaurants selling seaside meals. Rather huge dogs frolicked a bounded nearby, clearly in a mood to play. One massive canine in particular kept trying to get my attention, closing his jaws gently around my arm to stop me from walking away.

While I understood the sentiment, he smelled like wet dog and the rest of his pack (which contained six more canines) was overly excited and didn’t restrain themselves as well. I gently extracted myself and found a place to wash off a coating of dog saliva before heading to another portion of the beach.

There, I walked until true night had fallen. I found a restaurant for some Turkish dinner and returned to my lonely hotel for a long night’s rest.

Tomorrow, I’ll head out once more. I plan on visiting one of the most highly-recommended sites along the Lycian Way.

Tomorrow, I strike out for Olympos.

Until then,

Best regards and excellent trails,

Old Sean

Written April 11th, 2024

Read more about visiting Demre and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Destination Info.

Affiliate Disclosure: Leftfade Trails contains affiliate links, so using services or products through these links supports the website, at no extra cost to the user. All links are to tested services and products designed to aid travelers on their journeys. Some links specifically connect to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate this website earns from qualifying purchases.