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MYRA (mod. Dembre)

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Originally appearing in Volume V19, Page 114 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MYRA (mod. Dembre) , an See also:ancient See also:town of See also:Lycia situated a See also:short distance inland between the See also:rivers Myrus and Andracus. In See also:common with that of most other Lycian towns its See also:early See also:history is not known, and it does not See also:play any See also:part of importance in either See also:Greek or See also:Roman See also:annals. Its fame begins with See also:Christianity. There St See also:Paul touched on his last See also:journey westward (A.D. 62), and changed into " a See also:ship of See also:Alexandria sailing into See also:Italy." In the 3rd See also:century the See also:great St See also:Nicholas, See also:born at See also:Patara, was its See also:bishop, and he died and was buried at Myra. His See also:tomb is still shown, but his See also:relics are supposed to have been translated to See also:Bari in Italy in the rrth century. See also:Theodosius II. made Myra the See also:Byzantine See also:capital of Lycia, and as such it was besieged and taken by See also:Harun al-Rashid in 8o8. The town seems shortly afterwards to have decayed. A small See also:Turkish See also:village occupied the See also:plain at the See also:foot of the See also:acropolis, and a little Greek monastery See also:lay about a mile westward by the See also:church of St Nicholas. The latter has formed the See also:nucleus of See also:modern Dembre, which has been increased by settlers from the Greek See also:island of Castel6rizo. Myra has three notable See also:sights, its carved cliff-See also:cemetery, its See also:theatre, and its church of St Nicholas.

The first is the most remarkable of the Lycian See also:

rock-tomb See also:groups. The western scarp of the acropolis has been sculptured into a number of sepulchres imitating wooden houses with pillared facades, some of which have See also:pediment reliefs and See also:inscriptions in Lycian. The theatre lies at the foot of this cliff and is partly excavated out of it, partly built. It is remarkable for the preservation of its corridors. The auditorium is perfect in the See also:lower part, and the scena still retains some of its decoration—both columns and carved See also:entablature. The church of St Nicholas lies out in the plain, at the western end of Dembre, near a small monastery and new church recently built with See also:Russian See also:money. Its See also:floor is far below the See also:present level of the plain, and until recently the church was See also:half filled with See also:earth. The excavation of it was undertaken by Russians about ;894 and it cost Dembre dear; for the See also:Ottoman See also:government, suspicious of See also:foreign designs on the neighbouring See also:harbour of Kekova, proceeded to inhibit all See also:sale of See also:property in the plain and to See also:place Dembre under a See also:minor See also:state of See also:siege. The ancient church is of the domed See also:basilica See also:form with See also:throne and seats still existent in the tribunal. In the See also:south See also:aisle as a tomb with See also:marble See also:balustrade which is pointed out as that wherein St Nicholas was laid. The locality of the tomb is very probably genuine, but its present See also:ornament, as well as the greater part of the church, seems of later date (end of 7th century ?). None the less this is among the most interesting early See also:Christian churches in See also:Asia Minor.

There are also extensive ruins of Andriaca, the See also:

port of Myra, about 3 M. See also:west, containing churches, See also:baths, and a great See also:grain See also:store, inscribed with See also:Hadrian's name. They See also:lie along the course of the Andraki See also:river, whose navigable See also:estuary is still fringed with ruinous quays. See E. Petersen and F. v. Luschan, Reisen in Lykien, &c. (1889). (D. G.

End of Article: MYRA (mod. Dembre)

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