Travel News
EGYPT AND MIDDLE EAST TOURS
A tour of Turkey might include a pilgrimage to St. Nick's birthplace
Christmas tradition has it that jolly old St. Nicholas makes his home on the North Pole, but travelers on tours of Turkey can visit the place where the saint was born.
Located on Turkey's splendid Mediterranean coast, the modern day Patara is a small village; however, it was a great city during the Greek, Roman and Byzantine eras, when it was the capital of the Lycian League. In addition to being the birthplace of St. Nicholas, who was a Byzantine bishop of the 4th century, Patara was once famous for its temple of Apollo, the Greek sun god.
Though Apollo's Temple has not been excavated, visitors can explore many other impressive ruins of ancient Patara, including an ampitheatre built into a hillside. The top of the hill offers panoramic views. A triumphal arch, a necropolis, basilica and baths are other highlights.
After taking in the ruins, travelers can keep heading down the road to the impressive Patara beach. Described by the Independent as "an endless stretch of sand," the beach is the Mediterranean's longest and an important habitat for loggerhead turtles.
Close to Patara, the ruins of Xanthos are also worth visting. They were excavated by an English team during the 19th century and declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in the 20th century.
Posted: September 22, 2011
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