Photo taken two weeks ago on the Bürgenstock, about half an hour from Lucerne
Christmas provides the perfect excuse for deviating from my main story line today. Wanted to share how we stumbled upon Saint Nicholas during our sailing trip in summer 2018 (Anatolian South Coast to Cyprus and Israel). On the first day, on the way from the Göcek Marina where we boarded to the ancient Lycian town of Petara, we looked for a bay to stay overnight. Pouring over our sea charts, we identified Gemiler Island as the perfect place - separated by a narrow channel from the mainland it would shelter us for the night and allow some swimming and kayaking.
The Carpe Diem V with the flags of all sailors on the way to Gemiler Island on 28 July 2018
We had no idea that we would anchor where Saint Nicolas – yes, Santa Claus – was buried in 343 AD. Most people know that the origins of the Santa Claus story lie in Southern Turkey. Born to wealthy parents in Petara around 280 AD, Nicholas converted early to Christianity and became bishop of Myra, around 80 nautical miles to the east. As all Christians, he suffered from Emperor Diocletian’s prosecution when bibles were burnt and believers fed to the lions. He spent many years in prison and it is a miracle that he actually survived. By 313 AD though, after ten years of prosecution, the future Emperor Constantin the Great, abandoned his predecessor’s policy and shepherded in a new era of religious tolerance which eventually would make Christianity the Roman Empire’s state religion.
The old Byzantine Church which is partially chiseled into the rocks
Saint Nicholas is not only the protector of children, a role for which he is well known, but also the Patron Saint of sailors, merchants, archers, prostitutes, brewers, un-married people and students. To nobody’s surprise, his fame and stories spread quickly along the sea lanes, antiquity’s equivalent to our highways. The story of saving three girls from being sold into slavery or how he revived three murdered boys made him famous and the Patron Saint of all children who would receive their Christmas gifts on the 6 December, his name day.
When we anchored in the narrow channel, we spotted ruins on the island and decided to explore it before dinner. Only once we set foot, we discovered a plate indicating that the island was an old Byzantine monastery and the recently discovered original burial place of Saint Nicholas. As everywhere in Turkey, the government is not actively promoting the history of Anatolia’s Christian past. Recent history only starts with the arrival of the Seljuk Turks in 1071. But luckily there was this market – we would have missed it otherwise!
Sunset on Gemiler Island - the boat with the two masts is our Carpe Diem
We found the remains of possibly five churches, one of them chiseled into the island’s rocks. A slippery walkway led us to the top from where we enjoyed a magnificent sun set – the first of many. Apparently, Saint Nicholas’ relicts remained on the island until 650 AD, when Arabs started raiding the coast. For safety reasons they were then moved to Myra where the Eastern Emperor Theodosius II (401 – 450 AD) had already built a church in Saint Nicholas’ name. His relicts stayed there until 1087.
In 1071, the Seljuk Turks defeated the mighty Byzantine Army at Manzikert and took the Byzantine Emperor prisoner. Over the next few years, they slowly occupied Anatolia. There was no organized resistance any longer. Seeing an opportunity in this turmoil, sailors and mercenaries from Bari “rescued” the relicts from Myra and brought them to their hometown where two years later Pope Urban II inaugurated the Basilica di San Nicola. You could also say they stole them as San Marco’s relicts were stolen in Alexandria. The Europeans were crazy for relicts and every major church wanted to have some. Eight years later, when the First Crusade (1095) began, the looting and stealing of Christian relicts became big business.
In summer 2021 we may make a detour to Bari to visit the Basilica di San Nicola. The Patron Saint of the Sailors may invite us to stay a day longer on the Apulian coast. We will definitely sail up to Otranto before crossing over to Corfu. But that is a decision for July 2021.
Merry Christmas to everybody!