Statue of St. Nicholas, Demre, Antalya, Turkey

Demre’s gratitude is evident in the town’s official logo which features the familiar bearded face of Santa Claus and a bronze statue of a slimmer Saint Nicholas holding hands with two smiling children, which overlooks the central town square.

The man behind the legend is believed to have died in Demre in 343 AD, when the city was then known as Myra and many of the inhabitants spoke ancient Greek.

Nicholas is a real man. He lived here and he died here, and he talked about Christianity in a widespread area.

town’s official logo of official website ....