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It
is supposed that St. Nicholas Church in Myra-Demre has been built on a
Lycian Temple of Apollon.
The St. Nicholas Church which is partially intact today had been damaged
by floods for several times during centuries and had been damaged badly
by the earthquake in 529 AD. After this earthquake Myra had been covered
with soil and the church had become invisible with the alluvion filling.
The situation of the St. Nicholas Church in those days, is best
explained in one of the chapters of a book called “Karabibik”
written by Nabizade Nazım in 1890. The chapter about the church is as
follows:
“As the villagers asserted that the Church was a construction from the
first days of Christianity, sly and cunning businessman Sarısimyanoğlu
had claimed that it was much older. He had acquired this knowledge from
and English Lord who came to visit the era. The church used to be an
Apollon Temple in Lycian period in Demre called Myra in ancient times
when Myra used to be a very important and famous city. The temple used
to be in the centre of Myra but the city of Myra came under masses of
soil after a flood centuries ago and consequentially the Apollon temple
(St. Nicholas Church) became invisible.”
In another chapter from Nabizade Nazım’s
book “Karabibik” according to Sarısimyanoğlu, “the priest’s
son Ligor and Andanoğlu came from the island of Meis and settled in
Temre (Demre). They have discovered the cupola of the Apollon Temple in
Temre and then unearthed the cupola section by section. Then other parts
of the church are unearthed and renovated. But they were unable to
excavate the bottom floor of the church.” This part of the story in
Nabizade Nazım’s book was also confirmed in detail in a book called
“Description de L’Asia Mineurre” written and described by the
drawings by the famous French traveller Charles Texier in 1849.
Russian Tsar Nikola the 1st
had the honours of having the church mended and renovated in 1853 after
Ligor and Andanoğlu of Meis managed to unearth the cupola of the St.
Nicholas church. The historical process and the time of the renovation
of the church is unveiled with the story in Nabizade Nazım’s book. A
group led by the architect Salzenberg from the Russian Archeology
Instute had studied and restored the building in 1878-1903. Today’s
framework and the gallery had been also rebuilt in the same period.
The first construction period is
dated to the 6th century. After the big earthquake while the
city was being rebuilt the church also has been restored. In the 6th
century Byzantine Emperor Justinianus the 1st offered golden
and silver objects to St. Nicholas Church in Myra. From this century on
the church had become a cult center visited for pilgrimage.
The church had been occupied by the armies of Harun El Reşid in the
beginning of the 9th century and badly damaged. During the 9th
century the church has been rebuilt in the domed basilica form.
During the occupation of Zirids coming from Northern Africa by boats,
the church again has been damaged in 1034.
In 1087 St. Nicholas’ tomb has been plundered and his relics have been
taken to Bari.
During the 11th and 12th centuries additional
constructions have been built in the northern and southern parts of the
church.
After the flood in 1195, most of the building has been covered by the
alluvion filling.
By the financial support of the Russian Tsar Nikola the 1st,
the ceiling of the church has been excavated. By the end of the 19th
century the framework and the gallery were restorated by the Russian
Archeology Institute.
In 1963-64 east and south parts were cleaned from the alluvion filling
by Antalya Archeology Museum.
The excavation started by the Turkish Republic Ministry of Culture and
Hacettepe University in 1989 is still being carried on by Prof. Dr. Yıldız
ÖTÜKEN.
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