Gemile Island

Gemiler Island is located off the coast of Fethiye and means 'Island of Boats' and its other name is St. Nicholas Island. St. Nicholas, also known in the Western world as Jolly Santa Claus, was the patron saint of sailors, hence the connection. In 1993, some archaeologists suggested that Gemiler Island was the original site of the tomb of St. Nicholas. These days, the small island is green and uninhabited, and is home to the ruins of five churches dating back to the 4th, 5th and 6th centuries.