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 The temple which had been build the honor Artemis Euthera (formerly Cybele, the mother goddess of Anatolia) collapsed in an earthquake in the 2nd century A.D.It is assumed that an orthodox church was built in the Byzantine are over the remains of the temple. It appear that Nicholas became the bishop of the church, and served there until his death. 
 

 
We know that he died on Dec.6, 343 and his body was put in a marble Roman sarcophagus which was placed in the central apse on the south side of the church. During the Arab invasions between the 7th and 9th centuries A.D., like all the other southern Mediterranean cities, Myra end the church, too, were destroyed. In 1087, during the turbulent years of the late Byzantine era, the Italian merchantsfrom Bari, Who came to the area, broke the sarcophagus and took St Nichola's remains to Italy. The thieves, in their hurry, left behind a few finger bones Museum. In 1750, the Russian czarina bought the lend where the church is, and later the Russians repaired the church and its dome. 

A white marble sarcophagus, decorated with reliefs of various kinds of plants, is seen in the apse on the south side of the church. It belonged to St. Nicholas. The bones left behind by the thieves and the gold decorated icons of the church are on display on a special section in the Antalya Museum. This icons are among the most beatiful treasure of the Orthodox world. 

The church is built like a basilica in the shape of an Orthodox cross. The main section is in the center and it covered by a dome. On each side of main section, there are side halls, and on the southern side, there is a small square room, two corner rooms, an apse and a bema. The dome covering the main section is supported on the sides by semidomes. 

The main section is polygonal on the outside and has a windov with three archesthat openson to the back side. 

A synthronom with nine cave, placed on a arched vestibule, is seen on the main section. Arched door wayslead to the side halls, which give access to the other sections on the sides. 
The floors of the side rooms are covered either with colored mosaics or with stone.  

The small rooms added on during the Byzantine are in the north and it is assumed that these were used for different purposes. There is a garden, surrounded by tall walls, at the and of the small rooms. Byzantine column capitals, pieces of marble reliefs, and sarcophagiare seen in the garden. In a corner in the garden, there is a rectangular basin and it is assumed that it was used to store the holy water. 

 
The church stayed under the silt for the many years. After it was unearthed, it was repaired 
many times, and survived up to today. The turks who settled in the area respected St. Nicholas and did not damage the church.  

St. Nicholas died in 343 and was put in a sarcophagus in a church built to his name. The church saw great damage in the earthquake of 529. The Byzantine emporer Justinian helped with repair work of the church.

Arab raids have given some more damage later. But the grave was intact. Then in 1087 a group
of Italien seamen landed in Demrya and hastily took some of his remains from the sarcophagus and carried them to Italy, bary. There, his remains were put in a large cathedral built to his name. 

The original St. Nicholas church was covered partly by alluvial silt brought by Demyra stream. Restoration and excavation work started in 1959 and still continues.

The church is in "çarsi" the marketplace of the present town. It can be visited. The grave of St. Nicholas broken by the Itallien sailors is in one of the side chapels of the church. Those remains of St. Nicholaus which have not been taken by the Italliens,i.e. some bones of his, are on display in Antalya Museum.