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| During our 2003 stay in Finike, the Eastern
Mediterranean Yacht Rally made a stop there. The rally comprises a flotilla
of boats that travel together to prearranged destinations. Marinas in the places they stop overnight or longer often hold parties and local tours of the area. Our marina arranged a tour of the local historic places, and we were happy to sign up. As we don't have a car, it's normally hard for us to stray too far from the marina. |
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The Lycian civilization extended along much of Turkey's
coast, starting as early as the fourteenth century BC. Most of what is known
about them is later, from the eighth century BC on. The Lycians created
city-states, and formed a federation to make decisions for twenty-three of
them, like a miniature United Nations. They had their own language and
matrilineal descent (families trace back through mothers and daughters.)
All along the coast, Lycian rock tombs are carved into the sides of the mountains, including these at Myra. The tombs are intended to look like Lycian houses, including faux wood beams carved out of the rock. There are carvings of funeral scenes and battles, and some of the original paint is still visible. Rain and earthquakes continue to expose the ancient tombs, and one estimate predicts that there are 2500 rock tombs on this mountain alone. |
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At the same site at Myra stands an ancient amphitheater. The theater seated 9000 spectators, noblemen in the main sections and women and students in the top rows. That might seem like a lot of people, but in fact Myra was an important town. It merited three votes in the Lycian Federation and was visited by Saint Paul in 60 AD. In the fourth century AD, the man we now know as Saint Nicholas was its bishop. This is one of the best-preserved theaters in Turkey, and stands right beside the rock tombs shown in the photo above. Carved masks like the ones at right decorated the facade. |
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High in the mountains above Finike is the ancient site of
Arykanda. Civilization here dates from at least the second millennium BC,
perhaps in the form of a sanctuary to the sun god Helios. Coins and other
artifacts from the fifth century BC have been discovered on the grounds
here. Arykanda earned a vote in the Lycian Federation. Alexander the Great might have slept here, or at least his army did. The Roman emperor Hadrian was also a visitor. Despite earthquake damage, much of the area remains intact, including walls, baths and other buildings. |
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Demre, the town adjacent to Myra, is a destination of pilgrims who come in December to pay homage to Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, who was born in nearby Patara and became the bishop of Myra. Many of the legends we associate with Santa Claus came from actual deeds performed by this man. For instance, he probably dropped a donation of gold to a poor family whose daughters did not have a dowry for marriage. The coins might have dropped into stockings that the young girls were drying by the fire. On the other hand, there is almost no verified documentation at all about his life's work. It's almost a certainty that he never saw snow or had to wear a fur outfit here on the Mediterranean. This church was originally built as a memorial to the beloved bishop. As his popularity spread in Europe and the world, the church got larger. The painted frescoes you can see faintly are from an early section of the church. The building has sunk seven meters (seven yards), so it's now necessary to walk downstairs to a sort of basement to reach what was once the ground floor. |
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