PATARA - MEHMET APARTS - TURKCE

Around 300Ad, during a prosperous era for Patara, a rich wheat merchant had a son and named him Nicholas. Many years later after the death of his father Nicholas inherited a large estate and decided to use it to aid the poor. At around the same time, one Patara’s wealthiest men fell into poverty to such an extent that he lacked the means even to gather dowries for his daughters. He felt so desperate that he even considered selling his daughters. Nicholas decided to help them – he entered their house secretly in order to remain annonymous and spare the family’s honour. While they were sleeping, he crept in through an open window and left a bag of gold, to cover the dowry of the eldest daughter. Later he then helped the two younger daughters in the same way, but as the windows were closed he dropped the small sacks of gold down the chimney. The small bags of gold landed in their shoes which were drying infront of the fireplace. This is one of the many stories that started the legend of St. Nicholas delivering gifts to children. Now on the 6th December every year, children in many countries in Northern Europe eagerly await a visit from St.Nicholas leaving small gifts in their shoes. At St. Nicholas church in Myra (Turkey) there is a church ceremony every year on the 6th December.