Father Christmas Museum breaks records

ANTALYA – Doğan News Agency

The Noel Baba Museum broke the visitors and revenues record in 2014.

One of the most visited locations in Antalya, the Father Christmas (Noel Baba) Museum in Demre, exceeded 85,000 monthly visitors for the first time this August.  

The Father Christmas Museum's site dates back to the 4th century A.D. and is considered holy, especially by Orthodox Christians. It is the only ancient structure with wall paintings in the region, drawing the highest number of tourists from Russia, followed by Germany and other European countries.

In August the museum was visited by 85,287 people, bringing in 832,537 Turkish Liras in revenue. In the same period of last year, the museum was visited by 81,865 people and earned 782,267 liras.

In the first eight months of this year, the museum received a total of 388,863 visitors, earning 4,028,653 liras. During the same period of last year, the number of visitors was 352,262 for 3,538,600 liras in revenue.

Another tourist attraction in Demre, the ancient city of Myra, was also rushed to by visitors in August. Myra hosted 63,335 people for 650,000 liras in revenue. The number of visitors in the same term last year was 66,277, earning 660,000 liras.

In the first eight months of this year, Myra hosted a total of 314,731 people, providing 3,534,000 liras. In the same time period last year, these numbers were 310,033 people and 3,208,000 liras, respectively.

Myra is very popular among tourists due to its remaining theater that has a capacity of 13,000 people, theater masks on ancient stones and rock tombs.