Patara (Lycia)

36.26027777777829.314166666667Koordinaten: 36 ° 15 ' 37 "N, 29 ° 18' 51" E

Patara (Greek Πάταρα, under Ptolemaic rule under the name of Arsinoe ) was an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast of Lycia in Turkey today. It is near the mouth of the ancient river Xanthos, Turkish Eşen Çayı, at today's Gelemiş.

Importance

Patara was one of the most important cities of Lycia, and the most important port of the landscape. Under the name Pttara the city was probably a Lycian foundation, even if a later Greek tradition it on Pataros, a son of Apollo, attributed. Apollon Patroos had a cult with oracle in Patara.

History

Since Alexander the Great was one of Patara to the influence of the Hellenistic kingdoms and was an important naval base in the Diadochenkriegen. Ptolemy II called them temporarily into Arsinoe. In Roman times, Patara retained its leading position in Lycia; It was the provincial capital and seat of the governor of the province of Lycia et Pamphylia. The Apostle Paul stayed in the course of his third missionary journey ( 53-58 AD) in Patara:

"When the time came to leave, we parted from them, drove along the shortest path to Kos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Here we found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia; we went aboard and set sail. As we sighted Cyprus, we left it lying on the left, sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre; here the ship should delete its charge ... "

In the 3rd century AD, the later Bishop Nicholas of Myra was born there.

Research

The port Patara, which - as can be seen today - stretching inland over about two kilometers slowly silted up since ancient times. This was done by continuous Sandanschwemmung the near fast flowing river Xanthos and by the formation of dunes. The port was finally abandoned well in the Middle Ages ( 13th century). Systematic excavations of the city were carried out in the 2000s. In the grounds are the remains of larger buildings can be seen: a Roman triumphal arch with three runs, baths, a theater, a granary, from the time of Hadrian, two aqueducts, the main street (which, however, partly under water ) and the floor plan of the ancient lighthouse. In addition, work is under way to rebuild the Buleuterion, the Assembly building of the Lycian Federation.

Apollo Sanctuary

In the early days was the famous sanctuary of Apollo at Patara with its oracle, which later became the oracle of Delphi made ​​the rank dispute. After that it became almost completely forgotten and was still not found by the archaeologists again. Recently, however, researchers found the pair Fahri Işık and Havva on the northeastern edge of Patara near the Roman Arch of Mettius Modestus, a monumental Apollo head, so that the ancient sanctuary is suspected at this point.

The large theater

The Little Theater

The silted harbor

Inscription on the Assembly building of the Lycian League

Overview of the old theater to the Parliament and Goal