Patara
Geburtsstadt des Heiligen Nikolaus und lykische Bundeshauptstadt
Warum dieses Ziel wichtig ist
Patara, das antike Lycian, war die Geburtsstadt des Heiligen Nikolaus (ca. 270 n. Chr.) und Hauptstadt der Lykischen Liga. Der Apostel Paulus landete hier auf seiner Reise nach Jerusalem (Apg 21,1-2).
Heute ist Patara eine archäologische Stätte von außergewöhnlichem Umfang mit dem ältesten bekannten Leuchtturm der Welt und einem prächtigen Strand.
Wichtigste Sehenswürdigkeiten
Bouleuterion
1,400-seat Lycian parliament building, the legislative heart of the Lycian League.
Roman Theatre
Restored 6,000-seat Roman theatre.
Arch of Modestus
Triple-arched Roman triumphal gate.
Lighthouse of Patara
60 AD - among the oldest known lighthouses in the world, reconstructed.
Hadrian's Granary
Imperial-era grain storage on the harbour.
Great Basilica
5th-century Byzantine basilica, 61 by 32 metres - one of the largest in Lycia.
Patara Beach
18-km sand beach, sea-turtle nesting zone (closed at night).
Beste Reisezeit
April–Mai und September–Oktober. Langer Strand auch im Sommer nutzbar.
Anreise
70 km von Demre, 10 km von Kalkan. Minibus von Kalkan oder Taxi.
Unterkunft
Kalkan (10 km) bietet gehobene Boutique-Hotels. Patara selbst hat einfache Pensionen direkt am Strand.
Touren und Erlebnisse
Meist als Tagesausflug von Kalkan oder Kaş kombiniert mit Demre/Myra. Spezialisierte Nikolaus-Pilgerreisen decken Patara + Demre an einem Tag ab.
Partner accommodation
Alkan Apart Demre
Alkan Apart Demre is located in Demre (Myra) — 70 km from Patara.
Full kitchen · Free parking · Free Wi-Fi · Families & groups welcome
Gökyazı, İlkokul 3. Sokak, 07570 Demre/Antalya
Practical information
- Hours
- Site 08:30-19:00 summer / 08:30-17:00 winter.
- Fees
- Approximate 2026 - verify on muze.gov.tr. Combined ticket ~10-13 EUR / 400 TL. Museum Pass Turkiye valid.
- Dress code
- No special requirements at the open-air site; modest dress at the basilica is welcome.
- Accessibility
- Wooden walkways cover the main paths; some sections are sandy and uneven.
Pilgertipps
💡 Pilgertipps
- Combine Patara with Kekova (45 km east) and Xanthos (15 km west) in a single Lycian coast day. The standard pilgrim itinerary: Patara morning, Kekova boat afternoon, Xanthos and Letoon UNESCO sites the following day.
- The Patara archaeological site is enormous (4 km² of Roman ruins) — bring water and a sun hat. The Roman amphitheatre, the Lycian League parliament building and the lighthouse are the principal pilgrim-relevant sites.
- The Patara beach (12 km of sand) is one of Turkey's best — combine the archaeological visit with a swim. The beach is a protected loggerhead turtle nesting site; access closes at 19:00 in summer.
- Stay in Kalkan or Kas (boutique coastal towns) rather than Patara village itself — accommodation is much better and you are within 30-45 minutes of all three Lycian sites.
- The lighthouse of Patara (Roman, 1st century) was reconstructed and reopened in 2015 — it is the oldest known surviving lighthouse in the world. Climb it for the panorama over the ancient harbour.
Wussten Sie schon?
ℹ️ Wussten Sie schon?
- Saint Nicholas was born in Patara around 270 AD to a wealthy Christian family. He inherited considerable wealth on his parents' early deaths, which he gave away — the famous story of the three bags of gold thrown through the window to save three young women from prostitution originates here.
- Patara was the principal port of the Roman province of Lycia and the meeting place of the Lycian League — the world's first recorded federal republic. The Lycian League parliament building (Bouleuterion) at Patara is the architectural ancestor of every modern parliament.
- Saint Paul stopped at Patara on his way to Jerusalem in 57 AD (Acts 21:1-2) — 'we came to Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara'. He found a ship bound for Phoenicia and continued his journey. Patara is the only Saint Paul site shared with Saint Nicholas.
- Patara's harbour silted up over the Byzantine and Ottoman periods — the city's harbour basin is now 1 km inland from the present coastline. Archaeological excavations of the harbour quay are visible from the road.
Biblical references
- Acts 21:1-2 — “And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.”
Empfohlene Lektüre
| Title / Reference | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus (Adam C. English) | The best modern English-language biography of Saint Nicholas — historical, accessible and respectful of both Eastern and Western traditions. |
| Acts 21:1-2 | Saint Paul's brief stop at Patara on his last journey to Jerusalem. Read on the harbour ruins. |
| Lycia: Land of Light (Mehmet Bayhan) | Cultural and archaeological guide to Lycia. Patara, Xanthos, Myra, Kekova and the Lycian League covered in depth. |
Nearby destinations to combine
Demre / Myra
Tomb of Saint Nicholas in 5th-century Byzantine Myra
Ephesus
House of the Virgin Mary, Basilica of St John and the First Church of Revelation
Istanbul / Constantinople
Capital of Christianity 330-1453 and seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Teil dieser Routen
- Nicholas of Myra — Patara - Demre - Bari: the millennium pilgrimage of Saint Nicholas
- Footsteps of Saint Paul — Tarsus to Rome - the missionary journeys of the Apostle
Partner accommodation
Alkan Apart Demre
Alkan Apart Demre is located in Demre (Myra) — 70 km from Patara.
Full kitchen · Free parking · Free Wi-Fi · Families & groups welcome
Gökyazı, İlkokul 3. Sokak, 07570 Demre/Antalya
Frequently asked questions
Names in other languages
| Turkish | Patara |
|---|---|
| Greek | Patara |
| German | Patara |
| Russian | Patara |
| French | Patara |
| Italian | Patara |