Bible Dictionary
Myra
Myra was an important city and port in Lycia on the southern coast of Asia Minor. Paul changed ships there during his voyage to Rome before the shipwreck at Malta.
Definition
Myra was an important city and port of ancient Lycia in southwestern Asia Minor, situated about two and a half miles from the coast. It stood near the river Andriacus and later became a prominent port for ships from Egypt and Cyprus.
Biblical Usage
During his voyage to Rome, Paul reached Myra and found an Alexandrian grain ship there. He changed ships, and the vessel was later wrecked at Melita.
Historical Background
Myra later became the capital of the province and was known for substantial remains, including a theater and rock-hewn tombs. The modern name of its ruins is Dembre.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
One of the chief towns of Lycia, in Asia Minor, about 2 1/2 miles from the coast (Acts 27:5). Here Paul removed from the Adramyttian ship in which he had sailed from Caesarea, and entered into the Alexandrian ship, which was afterwards wrecked at Melita (27:39-44).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
an important town in Lycia, on the southwest coast of Asia Minor, on the river Andriacus, 21 miles from its mouth referred to in (Acts 27:5) Myra (named Dembra by the Greeks) Is remarkable still for its remains of various periods of history.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>mi'-ra (Mura): A city of the ancient country of Lycia about 2 1/2 miles from the coast. Here, according to Ac 27:6, Paul found a grain ship from Alexandria. The city stood upon a hill formed by the openings of two valleys. At an early period Myra was of less importance than was the neighboring city Patara, yet later it became a prominent port for ships from Egypt and Cyprus, and Theodosius II made it the capital of the province. It was also famed as the seat of worship of an Asiatic deity whose name is no longer known. Nicholas, a bishop and the patron saint of sailors, is said to have been buried in a church on the road between Myra and Andraki, the port. Here an Arab fleet was destroyed in 807. In 808 Haroun al-Rashid, the renowned kalif of Bagdad, took the city, and here Saewulf landed on his return from Jerusalem. Dembre is the modern name of the ruins of Myra, which are among the most imposing in that part of Asia Minor. The elaborate details of the decoration of theater are unusually well preserved, and the rock-hewn tombs about the city bear many bas-reliefs and inscriptions of interest. On the road to Andraki the monastery of Nicholas may still be seen.</p><p>E. J. Banks</p>