Myra and St Nicholas Church, Demre, Kaş

Is Myra and St Nicholas Church worth visiting?

Yes, if you like ancient sites or have any interest in St Nicholas. Myra’s cliff of Lycian house-tombs above a Roman theatre is one of the most striking sights on the whole Turquoise Coast, and from Kaş it’s an easy morning out. The church is quieter and more about atmosphere and frescoes than grand architecture.

Be realistic about Demre itself: it’s a working farm town ringed by greenhouses, not a pretty resort, and the church area can be busy when tour coaches from Antalya arrive. If ancient stones leave you cold, you’ll get a taste of Lycian tombs for free in Kaş and can spend the day on a boat instead.

Myra and St Nicholas Church tickets and opening hours

Foreign visitors pay in euros: about €13 for Myra and about €17 for the church, so roughly €30 for both. The official museum site lists hours but not prices; these figures match in two independent 2026 fee lists, so treat them as a guide. Both sites are open daily — Myra from 08:00, the church from 08:30, each until 19:00 with last tickets at 18:30.

The MüzeKart is for Turkish citizens only. The Museum Pass Türkiye and the Mediterranean pass are reported to cover both sites, but they only pay off if you’re visiting many more museums on the coast. In winter, unofficial guides give an earlier closing of 17:00 or 17:30 — check before an afternoon visit.

What to see at Myra and in Demre

• The sea necropolis — the sheer cliff above the theatre, honeycombed with Lycian tombs carved to look like timber houses; this is the photo everyone comes for.
• The Roman theatre — at the foot of the cliff, rebuilt after the earthquake of AD 141, with its seating rows and passages still clear.
• The river necropolis — about 1.5 km up the valley from the theatre, home to the Lion or Painted Tomb. When Charles Fellows saw these tombs in 1840 they still showed red, yellow and blue paint.
• The Church of St Nicholas — a Byzantine church on the site where Nicholas served as bishop, with frescoes of his life and miracles and patterned marble floors.
• The sarcophagus in the south aisle — traditionally his burial place, broken open when the relics were taken to Bari in 1087.
• Andriake — Myra’s ancient harbour a few kilometres away by the sea, with Hadrian’s granary and the Museum of Lycian Civilisations; separate ticket.

Inside the Church of St Nicholas: the real Santa Claus

The church is a museum, not a working parish: Orthodox services are held only occasionally, usually on 6 December, the saint’s feast day. It stands on the site of the church where Nicholas was bishop in the 4th century; most of what you see dates from the 8th century onwards, with frescoes, a marble sarcophagus and fragments of decorative stone flooring.

His bones aren’t here. In 1087 merchants from Bari opened the tomb and shipped the relics to Italy, where they lie in the Basilica di San Nicola. Some relics associated with the saint are shown in the Antalya Museum. River silt later buried the church, and in the 19th century it was partly restored with Russian money.

A short history of ancient Myra

Myra was a Lycian city that became Hellenistic and then Roman; Strabo counted it among the largest members of the Lycian League. The Lycians buried their elite high in cliffs, hence the tomb façades above the theatre. St Paul changed ships here on his way to trial in Rome.

Under Rome Myra became the capital of the province of Lycia, and in the 4th century its bishop was Nicholas. Earthquakes, an Abbasid raid in 809 and Seljuk attacks followed, while the Myros river buried the streets under silt — most of the ancient city is still underground. Modern Demre, formerly called Kale, grew up beside it.

Demre, Myra and Kekova in one day

The classic combo is Demre and Myra in the morning, a Kekova boat in the afternoon. From Kaş you can do it yourself: the two sites first, then a boat from Üçağız over the sunken city to Simena castle — see Kekova and Simena.

From Antalya, Kemer or Side the same day is a long coach ride each way, which is why most people book a tour there. From Kaş it’s close enough to go independently, be back for lunch and spend the evening in Kaş harbour.

Myra, Kekova or the rock tombs in Kaş?

Myra’s tombs are bigger and more dramatic than those in Kaş, and the church is unique. For a free, no-travel look at Lycian cliff tombs, start with the Kaş rock tombs.

History around Kaş: compare and choose

Ancient sites in and around Kaş rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Be at Myra when it opens: the morning light on the cliff is softer and the coaches from Antalya arrive later.
• The tombs are best seen from the theatre below; bring a zoom lens or binoculars for the carved details.
• In the church, the side aisles have the best-preserved frescoes and fewer people.
• Have lunch in Demre or in Üçağız on the way to Kekova so the day from Kaş never feels rushed.
• Visiting in early December? Around 6 December there may be services and pilgrims, so expect crowds.

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