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.
I have been three times already. It is the most amazing place. There is so much to see. There is a very short walk to Patara beach which is also amazing. So unspoilt and stunning. I will be back!!!!!!
We have just returned from a day amongst the ruins of Patara. Arriving early in the morning we went to the beach for a look first. We then wandered back over a path towards the ruins arriving at the theatre. Take time to wander among the ruins. look for the carved gladiator on the stone. Cimbing the hill, (take the…
The ruins here are ginormous and you can really get a feel for the place. Some ruins also in houses of the place. Patara village itself is disappointing.
There is a regular archeological excavation and restoration project in Patara.Lycian assembly building is restorated perfectly.Ancient lighthouse was excavated and they started a restoration project for this unique lighthouse.You can also see tepecik necropolis beside Tepecik hill which is the first residential place of Patara.People lived in Patara said that they came from dirmil plateau(modern name is Altınyayla)There is also…
It is quite an experience to sit on the terraced slopes of an amphitheatre that was used by Lycians several hundreds of years ago. The amphitheatre (the the general 'ruins' area) have been well-restored and maintained, and offer some interesting insights into the life and times of the Lycians. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring these ruins, and returned at sunrise for…
If you want a good couple of hours exploring an historic site then go no further than Patara. They have been excavating for a couple of decades and restored the enormous Parliament building. The restoration of this Lycian League Parliament building has cost about 7.5 million TL, making it the biggest restoration project in Turkish archaeological history.
The building is…
the views from the top are not as good as the writer of the guidebook I had with me reckons but I always love roaming around these ancient sites were people lived years before. So it was worth doing.
This is one of the first things you see when you enter Patara
…staying under the arch you discover a vision into your mind…transferred to your eyes images of those times of prosperity in Lycia…feeling like you was there!
Patara was the capital of Lycian league and the site today really fits the bill. You can see the theatre, parliament building, but the nicest part is the main columnated street. The archaeologist are still working on the place and the most amazing thing for me was how time destroyed portion of that street. In all these centuries, the street…