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.
Wowsa. If you just like a little history then please go see this place. Amphitheater, columns , it is just amazing. I have never experienced anything like it. Not sure about the rebuild that they have done which makes it look new but there is just so much to see here and experience. And more excavations going on around the…
Worth seeing. Easy to access. Bring a hat. There is parking at the front. Try to go early morning as the day gets very hot and there is little or no shade
Untouched and unharmed by the grovelling paws of pollution and gas fumes, squabbling pigeons and car crashes. Great scenery for a Facebook profile picture.
We arrived around 9 am and had terrific light on the ruins for photos. There were no other tourists, and we found water surrounding some ruins, making for excellent reflections of the stones. The beach was quiet, no loggerheads in sight. Bring sunscreen and good walking shoes!
This wonderful structure has been beautifully restored with ongoing work on the entire site still being carried out.Time feels still and one can just imagine what the entire place was like in its heyday
There is a lot of work being carried out to return the ruins to their former glory. You are able to walk around them without any problems. Well worth a visit on the way to the beach
really easy to get to using local transport really interesting to walk around with lots of boards with information on what you are looking at, shared the site with a flock of sheep and remarkably few people, also parts have been restored, when you have had enough of the ruins it is a short walk to Patara beach which is…
The newly opened "refurbished" Parliament is wonderful
Not complete a few earth quakes have seen to that but still worth visiting
I exercise on Patara beach regularly, when I'm staying in nearby Kalkan & love to stop at the Ancient ruins on my way. Between Patara village & the beach, this place is amazing & in a constant cycle of methodical restoration.
Unlike other attractions of this type it's free & you have pretty well the place to yourself to explore…