Apart from the well known areas like Cappadocia and Pamukkale, Turkey has a lot more to offer. The ancient city of Myra was one of these sights.

Early morning is always a good time to visit such spots because your typical tourist tends to sleep longer when on vacation, so therefore all these must-see sights are mostly deserted in the mornings. And for us as travel photographers, the morning hours have a far better light anyway.

A Place Where History Can Be Felt Every Step Along The Way.

Myra once was the capital of Lycia until it lost a battle in 800 AD. Terrible plagues, Muslim raids , earthquakes and floodings did the rest and in the 11th century, Myra was finally abandoned only to be rediscovered in 1840 by Charles Fellows – an famous British archaeologist.

So we were the first ones to arrive there, and had the place completely to ourselves. When standing in the half circle theatre, the largest theatre in Lycian times, one can really imagine how it must have felt, when the crowd cheered. The theatre is impressive, but the rock hewn tombs behind it even more. There are two necropolis of Lycian rock-cut tombs in the form of temple fronts carved into the vertical faces of cliffs. The entire site is really well preserved, which is perfect for your imagination of those ancient times.

Myra is a relatively small site and you’ll be done within an hour, but nevertheless it’s well worth the trip!

Even though you’re not allowed to walk around the rock tombs, you still feel the ancient Lycian culture…

It’s best to visit the ancient ruins of Myra early in the morning, because that’s when you’ll have the place to yourself without hordes of tourists.

All pre-Greek people of Anatolia built beautiful monumental tombs. The Lycians developed this form of art to perfection, no doubt facilitated by the soft limestone of the region.

The theatre of Myra, with the rock-cut tombs of the ancient Lycian necropolis on the cliff in the background.

The main attractions at Myra is the large theatre which used to sit up to 13.000 people.

The vibe and atmosphere around Myra is unique. It really feels like you’re set back into time…