Edens of Turkey

Meaning

Patara was regarded as one of the most important cities Lykiens and the most important port of this landscape. Under the name Pttara the city was probably a Lycian creation, although a later Greek tradition on Pataros, a son Apollo, zurückführte. Apollon had Patroos in Patara a cult with Oracle.

History
Since Alexander the Great Patara belonged to the Hellenistic influence of the rich and was a major naval base in the Diadochenkriegen. Ptolemy II named them temporarily in Arsinoe. In Roman times Patara retained its leading position in Lycia, it was Metropolis and the seat of the governor of the province of Lycia and Pamphylia. The apostle Paul, who proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ, lingered during his third mission trip (53-58 AD). In Patara:

“When the time came for departure, we separated ourselves from them, drove on the shortest way to Kos, the other day after Rhodes, and from there to Patara. Here, we found a ship, which sailed Phoenicia, we went on board and drove. Cyprus sichteten When we, we were there to the left, sailed to Syria and ended up in Tyre, where the ship should remove its cargo “… (Acts 21,1-3)

In the 4th Century AD was later Bishop Nicholas of Myra was born there.

Exploration
The port Pataras, which is as evident today-about 2 kms inland extended, verlandete since antiquity slow. This is done through continuous Sandanschwemmung the nearby river schnellfließenden Xanthus (Esen Cayi) and the formation of shifting sand dunes. Because of silting finally abandoned the port was probably in the Middle Ages (13th century). Systematic excavations of the city have so far not taken place. The terrain can be the remnants of larger buildings recognize: a Roman triumphal arch, with three passes, baths, a theatre, a granary of the time Hadrian and two aqueducts.

Apollon sanctuary
In the early days was the famous Apollo sanctuary of Patara with its Oracle, which later became the oracle of Delphi made the rank dispute. Then it fell almost completely into oblivion and was up today by the archaeologists are not recovered. However, the researchers found recently pair Fahri and Havva Işık on the northeastern outskirts of Patara close to the Roman Arch of Mettius Modestus a monumental Apollon head so that the old sanctuary at this point suspected.

Patara in der Neuzeit 
Der antiken Stadt vorgelagert ist ein großes Dünengelände und ein 12 km langer feiner Sandstrand. Nur an einer Stelle in der Nähe des Parkplatzes ist ein kleines Restaurant mit Liegen- und Sonnenschirmvermietung errichtet. Vom Tourismus ist der kleine Ort Patara trotz des sehr schönen Strandes weitgehend verschont geblieben. Es gibt einige kleine Hotels, Pensionen und Restaurants. Zum Strand muss man ungefähr zwei kilometer entlang der antiken Stätten laufen, bzw. fahren, der Eintritt kostet 2007 pro Person 2,00 YTL. Der Zugang durch die Dünen ist auch möglich, ist aber wegen der Höhe der Dünen etwas beschwerlich.