The ruins of Patara consist of the large Hadrian granary, the city’s triumphal arch, a theater with a long inscription, a sixth or seventh century Christian basilica, Lycian and Roman tombs, the baths, and a temple to Apollo. One of the chief centers of the worship of Apollo was here as was also the famous oracle of Apollo.
Patara was the flourishing port for the city of Xanthus (Kimk) some ten kilometers up the Xanthus (Koca Cay) River. Xanthus was the ancient capital of the province of Lycia. While Xanthus was more heavily populated, Patara perhaps covered more acreage. Homer speaks of the area as the home of one of the heroes of the Trojan War. The port area has been erased by the shifting sands and the edge of the city is no longer immediately on the sea. In Paul’s time it appears it was a good all-weather harbor.
As Paul and Luke returned from Miletus to Jerusalem at the end of the third journey they stopped in Patara. Here they probably changed from a small coastwise ship to a larger one that could cope with the open Mediterranean (Acts 21:1-2).
The excavators at Patara have done an excellent job uncovering the Amphitheatre at Patara (one of the largest in Anatolia); just a few years ago it was filled with sand, vegetation and rubble. The view from the top, facing the city center, is fantastic.
All round Patara is a great place. The ruins are extensive and some are in quite good condition. The beach is good even on an Australian scale.
We've been watching excavations since 2001. It's a truly amazing site and the recent work has really brought it to life. Especially important that children are taken to see it – it will bring history to life!
My wife and I really enjoyed our visit to the Patara Ruins. We walked through them on our way to the Patara beach. The forum and amphitheatre, and old entrance street were most impressive. It only takes 30 minutes or so to walk through most of the site, but of course, you could stay much longer if you were inclined.
These amazing ruins are in lovely unspoilt setting near to a great beach. Try video g fro. One of the surrounding hillsides so that you can get a feel for the size and beauty of the settlement.
liked its restoration, apparently partly based on photographs from 19th century, before an earthquake made further damage, also presumably original stone, worked on to look 'new'
A large area of ruins – easy to stroll through and admire. Go on the way back from the beach as that way you avoid the historical tour groups.
in 333 BC. During the Wars of the Diadochi, it was occupied in turn by Antigonus and Demetrius, before finally falling to the Ptolemies. Strabo informs us that Ptolemy Philadelphus of Egypt, who enlarged the city, gave it the name of Arsinoe (Arsinoë) after Arsinoe II of Egypt, his wife and sister, but it continued to be called by its…
The ruins are amazing and lots of dedicated people working on them. To see them gives you a sense of times gone by and makes you want to know more of the history of the people and life in the ancient past, well worth a visit.
Visiting these ruins in April meant that it was really quiet and a lovely temperature to explore. The atmosphere in the amphitheater was brilliant with no one else around and I really got a feel for it you could imagine fantastic battles and huge crowds cheering! Just awesome!
There are ruins that have been excavated and others that are untouched…
These ruins are truly amazing, the whole site has an ambience about it which allows you to get a sense of how it used to be. The restoration which is underway does not spoil the enjoyment of this place in fact it enhances it more. Visit late in the day and enjoy the peaceful setting as the shadows stretch out…