St. Nikolaos Church

Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) was born in the ancient city of Patara and served as a bishop in Myra (Derne), which is within the borders of Derne district of Antalya. The Church of St. Nicholas Tomb was built in his name when he passed away due to being valued by the Christian community of the region and given the title of Saint.

St. Nikolaos Church is one of the most outstanding works of Byzantine art history. On the walls of the church, miracles believed to be performed by St. Nicholas are depicted. Inside the church, it is believed that Santa Claus rests in the Roman Period sarcophagus decorated with fish scales and acanthus leaves. Bones thought to belong to St. Nicholas are exhibited in the Antalya Museum.

The Church of St. Nicholas, which was heavily damaged by floods, earthquakes and invasions, was built in 1042 by Emperor IX. It was repaired by Constantine and his wife Zoe in 1862 by the Russian Tsar Nicholas I.

Particularly Orthodox Christians, Freiburg in Germany, Bari and Naples in Italy, and the whole Sicily island have special respect for Santa Claus and these lands where he lived and the grave church are attributed to the sacred.

You can visit this historical place, which has been flooded with visitors for centuries with the difference of Light Tour.