The current church was built mainly in the 8th century.

A monastery was added in the second half of the 11th century. Restoration work began in 1863, following the Russian Tsar, Alexander’s, purchase of the building and the surrounding area from the Ottoman Empire. A bell tower was added during these restorations and can be seen today. The sarcophagus of Saint Nicholas, which was destroyed in 1087, was unearthed in 1968.

St. Nicholas Church has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2000.

The History of St. Nicholas Church
St. Nicholas was born in the city of Patara (read about the ancient city of Patara), which hosted the Senate House of the Lycian League, in 300 AD as a son of a wealthy wheat merchant. He is considered to be the patron saint of children and sailors. He became the bishop of Myra in Demre and died in 365. His bones were stolen by merchants from Bari, and then buried in a basilica built in his name there.

The basilica in Myra was heavily damaged in the 8th century as a result of earthquakes and raids on the city, and was rebuilt as a domed church in the 9th century.

Later additions took place during the Middle Byzantine period in the 11th century. The most important repair of this period was made in 1042 by Emperor Konstantin IX and his wife Zoe. Most of the wall frescoes and floor mosaics came from this period.

Russian Tsar, Nicholas I, completed another comprehensive repair of the church in 1862, which was destroyed for various reasons over the centuries. The bell tower and the new central dome additions were part of this restoration, which deviated from the original plan.

There were many buildings built at different times on the original foundations of the current church. Thus, the church looks like a complex built in various periods.