Gemiler Island

Located at the southern end of Fethiye Bay, Gemiler Island is a dazzling island with its historical ruins and natural beauties. It is thought that Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, lived here for a while and his original tomb is here. AD 5-7. The island, which became a religious center in the centuries, is visited as a pilgrimage center especially during Easter.

Gemiler Island (aka St. Nicholas Island, Gemile Island, Santa Claus Island) is an island decorated with red pine and olive trees. 4-7 AD on the island. There are 4 churches, a waterway, cisterns, tombs, tunnels, and settlements dating back to the 16th century. Considered the protector of sailors, St. It is believed that when Nicholas lived here, sailors came to the island to make vows and worship before their long journey.

The frescoes of the great church are in good condition. There are also cistern ruins on the sea shore. Church number 2 is dated to the 7th century. This church is the most impressive structure of the ancient area. The apse of the church, whose ceiling has completely collapsed, has survived to the present day. It is rumored that St. Nicholas lived on the island because there is a fresco in the apse with the inscription "Hossios (i.e. saint, holy) Nicholas". In the room called Pastoforion on the left side of the apse, the valuable and sacred objects of the church were kept. The steps called Synthronon in front of the apse were designed for the clergy to sit.

The most interesting remains is the tunnel connecting the two churches. Some parts of the 500-meter tunnel are in ruins. There are 17 stops between the stairs in the tunnel. These represent Jesus resting 17 times as he was taken to the crucifixion.

It is unknown who the mausoleums belong to, but it is thought to have been built for the clergy.

As a result of the earthquakes that took place in 240-241 years, some of the ruins on the coast were submerged. The sunken remains can be viewed at a depth of two meters.