Abandoned Turkish Island Where Saint Nicholas Was First Buried

Off the shores of Turkey, near today’s city of Fethiye, lies the abandoned island known as ‘Saint Nicholas Island’ by medieval sailors. Archaeologists believe this is where Saint Nicholas was first buried, lending his name to the island. The site features ruins of five Byzantine-era churches built between the 4th and 6th centuries AD, along with over fifty Christian graves. Likely, it served as a stopover for Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Lands. Researchers estimate that after Saint Nicholas’s death in 326 AD, he was initially laid to rest in a church carved into the rock at the highest point of the island, located at the western end of a 350-meter pedestrian path. His remains are believed to have stayed there until the 650s AD when the island was abandoned due to threats from the Arab fleet. They were then moved to Myra in Lycia, about 40 kilometers eastward, where Saint Nicholas had served as bishop. The Turkish name for the island, ‘Gemiler Adasi,’ meaning ‘Island of Ships,’ may reference Saint Nicholas’s role as the patron saint of sailors. While the island no longer serves as a place of worship since the churches fell into ruin following the Asia Minor catastrophe and the persecution of Greeks in the East, it attracts numerous tourists during the summer months. Visitors arrive via large Turkish sailing boats (gulets) or smaller private vessels, thanks to its crescent-shaped bay providing a safe anchorage. There’s also a makeshift restaurant open only during the tourist season, offering traditional Turkish dishes.