Patara (Lycia)

Patara is a holiday town a few hundred km southwest of Antalya. There are excellent 20 km (12 miles) long beaches and in the dunes you will find Roman ruins.

In ancient times Patara was a flourishing city and the capital of Lycia. Excavations have unearthed numerous ancient structures, including an amphitheatre that could sit 6000 spectators. The Bouleuterion, or prytaneion, was the city's assembly hall. It dates from the 1st century BC. The ancient main street is well-preserved. It is lined with Ionic-order colonnades. The beautiful Arch of Medustus was the northern gate to the city. It was built in 100 AD. Excavations have also revealed several baths and a 26 m tall lighthouse, which stood at the entrance to the port of Lycia. It was erected in 60 AD and it is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in the world. Hadrian's Granary was used for storage of food.

The ancient harbour can still be distingueshed, but it is nowadays a swamp with sand and bushes. The aqueduct was originally 22.5 km long.

Illegal construction of modern buildings has covered part of the ancient site and many finds have been vandalized, but the excavation site is still well worth a visit.

Saint Nicholas was born in Lycia in 270 and lived most of his life in the nearby town of Myra.

The whole area is part of a nature reserve and at night sea turtles come ashore to access their nests. For this reason an entrance fee has to be paid and you have to leave the area at dusk.