Demre | |
|---|---|
District and municipality | |
 Myra Rock Tombs, Demre | |
 Map showing Demre District in Antalya Province | |
  Demre Location in Turkey | |
| Coordinates: 36°14′50″N 29°58′58″E / 36.24722°N 29.98278°E | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Province | Antalya |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Fahri Duran (CHP) |
Area | 329 km2 (127 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Population (2022)[1] | 27,691 |
| • Density | 84/km2 (220/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
| Postal code | 07570 |
| Area code | 0242 |
| Website | www |
Demre is a municipality and district of Antalya Province, Turkey.[2] Its area is 329 km2,[3] and its population is 27,691 (2022).[1] It was named after the river Demre.[4]
Demre is the Lycian town of Myra, the home of Saint Nicholas of Myra. The district was known as Kale until it was renamed in 2005. Until the 1920s the majority of people who lived in Demre (Myra) were Christian Greeks. At that time this majority migrated to Greece as part of the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey.[5] The abandoned Greek villages in the region are a striking reminder of this exodus. Abandoned Greek houses can still be seen at Demre and the regions of Kalkan, Kaş and Kayaköy, a Greek ghost town.[5] A small population of Turkish farmers moved into the region when the Greeks migrated.[5] The region is popular with tourists today, particularly Christian pilgrims who visit the tomb of Saint Nicholas.
- ^ a b "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
- ^ "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Demre Deresi: Turkey". Geographic Names. Retrieved 2011-10-09.
- ^ a b c Darke, Diana (1986). Guide to Aegean and Mediterranean Turkey. M. Haag. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-902743-34-2.
The Greek ghost town of Kaya in the hills behind Fethiye is the most dramatic reminder of this exodus, but derelict Greek houses can also be seen at Kalkan, Kas and Demre.