St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, came from Türkiye. Despite popular belief, this famous Christmas icon wasn’t the jolly old fellow dressed in red with magical reindeer most assume, but he was real, and indeed a great man.

The real story of Santa Claus.

Many assume that the story behind Santa Claus is fictional, or that this plump gift-giving man came from the North Pole, but they would be wrong. The real Christmas story starts around 300 A.D. when a young boy called Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in Türkiye, in the former ancient Lycian city of Patara, 45 minutes from Fethiye.

Nicholas was the son of a successful wheat trader. After his father’s death, he inherited a large estate. Nicholas’ devout religious upbringing meant that he always thought of others before himself. So, rather than spend his wealth on material items and gain, he set about using his money to help those less fortunate.

There are many wonderful stories of how this young orphaned boy helped the locals of Patara. He helped father’s pay their daughter’s dowries to save them from servitude, secretly left money to the poor, and climbed on the rooftops of local houses to throw coins down chimneys at night – sound familiar?

Nicholas carried out his good deeds in secret for many months, until one night, a local man caught him and spread the news about his generous actions. The church became aware of Nicholas and his good work and, whilst still a young man, made him the Bishop of Myra, a town we now know as Demre.

By the time Nicholas died in 343 A.D. word of his actions had spread far and wide. Europeans embraced the story of this amazing gift-giving man and he became referred to as the protector of sailors and children. In Holland, he was known as Sinter Klaas, and they still celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6^th each year. But it wasn’t until America got wind of the tale in the 1700s, that the modern Santa Claus was born. Like Chinese whispers, over time the stories were elaborated; snow, elves and reindeer were added, then finally, it’s said that Coca-Cola branded him in a fluffy-cuffed red suit creating the magical character we love today.

Nicholas is believed to have taken refuge from persecution on St. Nicholas Island, and his remains were kept in a Christian pilgrimage centre on there until they were moved to St. Nicholas Church in Demre, then finally to Bari in Italy.

St Nicholas Island (Gemiler Adasi)

St. Nicholas Island is small and uninhabited. It’s found 20km northeast of Fethiye, close to Oludeniz bay. To the rear of the island you will find several sheltered anchorages popular with daily-boats and blue-cruisers. Opposite you will find a small bay with a couple of local cafes/restaurants. Tip: we recommend visiting early morning or late afternoon if you want to explore the ruins and avoid the crowds.

The island is hilly, with the Byzantine remains of 5 Greek churches built between the 4^th and 6^th centuries A.D. and the ruins of a processional walkway, tombs, dwellings and other structures still evident. Pay a small fee to enter and discover the ruins yourself, or ask us to arrange a private guide to meet you and point out the highlights. A tour generally takes around an hour.

If you would like to know more about St. Nicholas Island or to add a visit to your itinerary, PLEASE CONTACT US.