Patara Ancient City – Antalya

Patara Ancient City is located in today’s Gelemiş village, between Fethiye and Kalkan, and is one of the oldest and most important cities of ancient Lycia. Its strategic significance stems from being the only point in the Xanthos Valley that provided direct access to the sea, a feature that ensured Patara’s importance throughout every historical era. The city’s name appears as Patar in Hittite texts dating back to the 13th century BC, while Lycian inscriptions and coins refer to it as Patara. Archaeological evidence suggests that the city’s history extends back to the pre-Iron Age period.

In the 3rd century BC, Patara came under Ptolemaic rule and emerged as a leading city of Lycia. By the early 2nd century BC, following control by the Seleucid Kingdom, Patara was effectively regarded as the capital of Lycia. This status was officially recognized in 167–168 BC when Patara gained autonomy from Rhodes and independence from Roman influence, becoming the capital of the Lycian League. Monumental structures such as the council building and theater, constructed during the Hellenistic period, reflect this political and cultural prominence.

Patara retained its importance after coming under Roman rule, serving both as a judicial center for Roman governors and as a vital naval base connecting Rome with its eastern provinces. In AD 43, Lycia became a Roman province, and later in AD 74, Lycia and Pamphylia were united into a single province—during which Patara continued to function as the provincial capital.

Renowned as the birthplace of the god Apollo and as an ancient oracle center, Patara was also a major port where grain transported from Anatolia to Rome was stored and distributed. The city maintained its significance during the Byzantine period and became an important center for early Christianity. Saint Nicholas, known worldwide as Santa Claus, was born in Patara. Additionally, Saint Paul embarked on his voyage to Rome from this very port. At the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325, presided over by Emperor Constantine, Patara’s bishop Eudemos served as the sole representative of Lycia—further evidence of the city’s prestige during this era.

Archaeological excavations have been ongoing at Patara since 1988. Today, visitors enter the ancient city through the remarkably well-preserved Roman Triumphal Arch, also known as the City Gate, which dates to around AD 100. On the slopes west of the gate lies a necropolis featuring Lycian-style sarcophagi. At the southern edge of the city, the theater—backed against Kurşunlu Hill—was reconstructed after earthquake damage in AD 147. North of the theater stands the council building, which once hosted meetings of the Lycian League.

To the west of the council building rises one of Patara’s most remarkable monuments: the ancient lighthouse, commissioned by Emperor Nero and considered the oldest known lighthouse in the world. Nearby, remains of Anatolia’s first wireless telegraph station, dating from the Ottoman period and once used as a post office, can also be found within the site.

Kurşunlu Hill, behind the theater, offers one of the finest panoramic views of the ancient city. From here, visitors can easily observe key landmarks such as the Vespasian Baths, the Corinthian Temple, the main street, the harbor area, and the monumental granary. Located beyond the marshland to the northwest, the granary (granarium) was constructed in the 2nd century AD by Emperor Hadrian and his wife Sabina and remains one of Patara’s most impressive surviving structures. The city’s water supply was transported from a rocky source approximately twenty kilometers northeast, with the monumental section known as Delik Kemer marking the most striking part of this aqueduct system.

Adjacent to the ancient city lies the spectacular twelve-kilometer-long Patara Beach—one of the rare nesting grounds where Caretta caretta sea turtles have laid their eggs for millions of years.

Patara Ancient City is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List as part of the “Ancient Cities of the Lycian Civilization” (2009).

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DAY 1 – Departure at the airport and arrival at the hotel

DAY 2 – Visit the main museums and lunch included

DAY 3 – Excursion in the natural oasis and picnic

DAY 4 – Transfer to the airport and return to the agency

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– Travel cancellation insurance

– Breakfast and dinner included

– Health care included

– Transfer to the airport and return to the agency

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