Myra is a city in the confederation of ancient Lycia, near the sea, on the river Andrak, at the mouth of which was the harbor of Andriake. According to legend, the apostle Paul arrived at the shore in this harbor before his departure to Rome. Geographically, the city was located next to the modern small city of Demre in Turkey (Antalya province).

According to one version, the city got its name from the word "myrrh" - the resin from which incense is made. According to another version, the name of the city (“Maura”) is of Etruscan origin and means “the place of the Mother Goddess”, only later, due to phonetic changes, turned into the World.

 The city of Peace was located 5 km from the Mediterranean coast. The ruins of the Greco-Roman theater and rock-cut tombs have survived from the city. The uniqueness and originality of the tombs can be explained by the fact that the peoples of Lycia had a custom to bury the dead in elevated places, as it was assumed that this would help them get to heaven. Being one of the major cities of Lycia, Myra has been its capital since the time of Theodosius II. In the III-II centuries BC Myra received the right to mint coins (during this period, Myra was part of the Lycian Union).

 The decline came in the 7th century, when the city was destroyed during the raids of the Arabs, as well as flooded with mud from the Miros River.

In the era of Christianity, Myra was able to maintain its significance, since in the year 300 Nicholas of Patara, known in the Orthodox tradition as St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra of Lycia, a miracle worker, having studied at Xanth, became the bishop of Myra, where he preached until his death in 343 year. He was buried in this church. Soon after the death of Nicholas, according to church tradition, several miraculous healings took place among the believers who came to venerate his relics, and Myra became a place of pilgrimage and holy faith. In the Western world, Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) has come to be seen as the protector of children, to whom he brings gifts on Christmas night.

 The church was repeatedly destroyed by the Arabs during the raids, especially strong destruction occurred in 1034. The Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh and his wife Zoya Porphyrogenic ordered to surround the church with a fortress wall, transforming the church into a monastery. In May 1087, Italian merchants managed to take possession of the relics of the saint and transport them to Bari, where he was declared the saint protector  of the city. The relics of the saint are currently kept in Italy (the cities of Bari and Venice). According to legend, when the Italian monks opened the sarcophagus, a spicy smell of myrrh spread from the relics of the saint.

 In 1863, Emperor Alexander II bought the monastery, work began on its restoration; however, they were soon discontinued.

 In 1963, excavations were carried out on the territory of the monastery. Colored marble mosaics and remains of wall paintings were found.

Here is a journey in the footsteps of St. Paul and St. Nicholas awaits you❗️